Kingdom Hearts Sanctioned Souls
by K-chanLovesAnimeXD
Summary: Sequel of "Shattered Souls" and "Bonded Souls"- It's been a year since the destruction of Xemnas, and life has been peaceful on the Islands for Sora and the gang. But when Xehanort returns and abducts one of their own, can Sora and Axel save her with the help of a new friend? And what happens when the pure embodiement of darkness joins in? AxelxOC DemxOC SorKai other pairings
1. A Peaceful Beginning?

**Welcome to the first chapter of "Kingdom Hearts: Sanctioned Souls"! This is the sequal to "Shattered Souls" and "Bonded Souls". It IS the final part in my "Souls" series, and it is a chronicle of my OC Kyrie's adventures with Sora, Axel, and the rest of the cast. (but please, go and read parts 1 and 2, it'll be easier to follow the story)**

**So enjoy, and the first few chapters are going to be a bit slow since I am going by IMAGINATION ONLY. (yes, there will be some mentions from Coded and 3D, but they will be somewhat minor)**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 1

_The heart that fought on, _

_Even without its memories, _

_Still remained incomplete._

_She traveled from world to world,_

_Gaining lifelong friends and a soul who would come to love her._

_But how long will this happiness last?_

_Her empty tears still echo,_

_Endlessly, endlessly…_

_Even with her destiny inching ever closer._

_How long will she go without her past?_

_Will she survive long enough for this duty to be done?_

_Or will one man's darkness consume her?_

_Only time will tell…_

All was quiet as I walked down the gravel road, my schoolbag clutched tightly in my hand as it rested at my side. School had just let out for the day, and all of the students were eager to get home as they flocked the roads and paths leading to their respective houses. My snow-white hair whipped a little in the coming ocean breeze, my bangs leaving the right side of my face for a moment as I walked home before falling back into place. I looked up and spotted a familiar figure ahead of me, before grinning. The girl had long, red hair and wore a uniform just like mine: a light blue and plaid plaited skirt with a white blouse and matching tie. I quickly raised my hand so that it hovered by my mouth, allowing my call to echo out.

"Kairi!" the person turned to reveal Kairi, one of my best friends. She smiled and stopped, waving to me as I walked briskly to her side.

"Hey, Kyrie!" she called, smiling brightly as I walked over. Once I got to her side, we just smiled at each other and giggled for a moment. "Can I walk with you?"

"Sure, of course you can." she answered, brushing her red hair back with her hand. With that we continued on, walking side by side as we walked home from school as we talked about various things from school to life at home. It had been nearly a year since I arrived at the islands, after the fall of Xemnas. The first few weeks on the islands were a whole new experience for me, Axel, Xigbar, and Demyx. School was an even newer experience, one that I enjoyed a lot.

I got to make more friends, but I always hung out with Kairi, Sora, Riku, Demyx, Xigbar, and Axel. Speaking of him; we are still going out, and we even went on a few dates since arriving here on the islands. Selphie often teased us and said that we were madly in love, but I didn't argue, because it was true. Of course, Demyx and Xigbar act like my big brother and uncle/father and are always spying on us. Leave it to Demyx to pick up on Xigbar's nasty habit. But I didn't mind, I loved Axel with all my heart and he felt the same.

"Hey, Kairi, Kyrie!" we both stopped and turned, spotting Selphie as she jogged down the path, trying to catch up with us. We smiled and waved as we waited for the girl to catch up.

"Hi, Selphie!" Oh yeah, I hung out with Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka a lot, too. We waited patiently for her to catch up, before continuing to walk home with her walking between us.

"Hey, you guys wanna go to the island? Tidus and Wakka are all wrapped up in their ball game, and won't go with me." she asked as we walked. Kairi shrugged her shoulders as she looked off to the side.

"Sure, I'll go. How about you, Kyrie?" I shrugged as well, Selphie looking over and waggling her eyebrows at me suggestively.

"Are you going to bring your boyfriend? I hope so. You two are so cute together!" she asked, squealing a little at the last part. I blushed brightly and looked down at my hands, not meeting her gaze. I wanted to bring Axel along, I always do. But it would be rude of me, with it being us girls.

That… and Sora and Riku were still off taking the Mark of Mastery exam. I turned my attention to the sky, remembering the day only weeks ago, when King Mickey and Master Yen Sid had summoned us to his tower.

-Flashback-

_I shifted uncomfortably as the King and Master Yen Sid explained to us what the Mark of Mastery was, and why we were taking it so early. My eyes drifted to the bookshelves and the windows, trying to calm myself down as they explained it to us._

"So how do we pass?" _I heard Sora ask. Yen Sid was silent for a moment, before answering. _

"You must go to these sleeping worlds and unlock their keyholes. These worlds are trapped in their dreams, as creatures as worse as the heartless attack. You and Riku will travel to these worlds and release them. As for you, young Kyrie-" _I snapped into attention at the sound of my name. _

"You can choose to go on this same venture as Sora and Riku, or you can choose to take the test differently. The reason why I give you this choice is because you are different, and that I know of your reluctance to come here." _he explained. I paused for a moment before nodding, this was true._

"Yes…I was reluctant to come here. And there is something I have to ask…" _I took a deep breath before continuing. _"Do I have to take the Mark of Mastery? Are you sure that there's no other way? I mean…Kairi can wield the keyblade as well-"

"It is true that Kairi can use the keyblade. But, she has not had the proper training needed to wield the keyblade properly. You are the only other person besides Sora, Riku, and King Mickey who can wield the keyblade. That is why I implore you to take the exam." _he explained. I was silent before nodding reluctantly. Ever since Sora and Riku told me that I had to come with them to meet with the King and Master Yen Sid, I felt a strange feeling in my gut. It was like something was telling me to not take the test, to back down. Like a me who wasn't me was rebelling. But it wasn't just that part of me who didn't want to take the exam, __**I **__didn't want to._

"So, which will you choose?" _he asked. I was silent for a moment, before meeting his gaze. _"What's the other way to take the test?"

"You would have to face King Mickey in combat. It is not a fight to win or lose, but to show that you have what it takes to become a master. Many keyblade wielders before you have chosen this method to pass their exams, so I am giving you the option to choose this path. Will you choose this path?" _he explained, indicating the King who stood next to his chair. The King looked away from me, reluctant to face me in combat. _

_I was silent for a few moments, before sighing. I didn't want to go on another quest for the sake of taking this exam, I wouldn't know how long I would be gone. And Axel…I can't leave him waiting for me on the island like Kairi did for Sora. It would be too selfish of me._

"Well, since I have to…okay. I will face his Majesty in combat."

-End of Flashback-

Since then, I was able to pass the Mark of Mastery. Not surprisingly, King Mickey had managed to meet me in a tie, but Yen Sid saw that I was more than capable to wield the keyblade as a master. At least, in his terms. After that I returned home, everyone congratulating me on the passage.

But in reality… I didn't feel like I really accomplished anything. I still felt like something inside of me was rebelling, that it was angry that I even took the test. Truthfully, I didn't want to go on another adventure. I just wanted a life of peace, to be able to live life like an ordinary person with Axel, Demyx, Xigbar, and the rest of my friends.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Kyrie!" I snapped out of my daze and looked at Kairi and Selphie, who were giving me the strangest looks I have ever seen. "Uh, yes?"

"I asked if you were bringing Axel! Don't try and change the subject by staying silent!" she scolded, wagging her finger at me. I was silent for a moment before shaking my head.

"No, actually, I might just head home. Today's been a long day." I answered, flashing them a small smile as I did so. She pouted and Kairi nodded in understanding, like she was able to read my thoughts. I wanted to go, but I still had a fear of the ocean. I wouldn't even get on a boat to go to the mainland my first few days on the islands. Either Axel had to hold me so tight against his chest that I couldn't see the ocean or Demyx had to open a dark corridor for me to meet the others on the mainland. It was an embarrassing and unexplainable phobia, but thankfully no one made fun of me for it. We got to a fork in the road, one that led to my house and the other to the beach. I turned to them.

"Well, see you tomorrow!" I sighed, waving my hand. The two nodded and waved as well.

"Bye, Kyrie! Let's try and hang out tomorrow!" Kairi called. I smiled and nodded, before turning to go down the path. I quickly turned and started down my usual path home, bouncing a little in anticipation.

I wonder what Demyx, Axel, and Xigbar are doing? Probably fighting over dinner, like usual. Maybe they'll actually let me cook this time. I was about to continue down the path, before a sharp pain in my head stopped me. I raised a hand to my head, closing my eyes tightly as my head started to throb painfully.

"**Kyrie…we must become whole. To see the memories of the world, that which we are missing. Call out to her, the one who has this piece of us. Call to her." **a familiar voice called. But my head was throbbing so loudly, I could barely hear it. It was like someone was taking a rock or something and hitting me in the head with it over and over again. I felt a hand on my shoulder, but I couldn't tell who it was.

"Kyrie? You okay?" I heard Kairi ask as she held my shoulder. I wanted to answer, but I couldn't find my voice. Just then, I heard another voice echo inside my head.

"_Huh? Who're you?" _I felt the world spin around me at the sound of this new voice, before everything went dark. After a few minutes, I felt things shift underneath me, meaning that I was somewhere else. I was surrounded by nothing but darkness, my eyes closed tightly, I had no idea where I was. I wanted to open my eyes, but I was hesitant. I heard the voice spoke again.

"_I said 'who are you'! Aren't you gonna answer? That's really rude, ya know!" _it sounded like a girl's, maybe in her teens. I opened my eyes to find myself in a field of flowers, staring up at the bright blue sky. The clouds were passing overhead, puffy like cotton.

"Huh…who…am I? Who…are you?" I asked as I sat up, looking around at the scenery. I didn't see anyone else, but I could feel another presence here. I heard her laugh.

"_Heh, I guess I can give you my name. My name is Miu, adventurer extraordinaire! I travel all over the worlds, helping out citizens when I can, and fighting off evildoers who seek for supreme conquest! …Or who just like to cause trouble. I love feathers, and have a massive feather collection. It's kinda funny, actually, because my name means 'beautiful feather'! So, what about you, what's your story? What do you like to do? How're we talking? Are we talking through our hearts? I think this is a dream, is it a dream? Well, c'mon, don't be shy!" _she was talking so fast, I could barely catch some of it. After a moment, I scratched the back of my head as I felt heat rise to my cheeks and my heart hammer uncertainly inside my chest.

"Um…m-my name is K-kyrie. I, um, live on the Destiny Islands. I don't know how we're talking, b-but I think you're right. I… I think we're talking through our h-hearts, because you're speaking into my mind. I'm not sure if this is a d-dream, I was just walking home a few s-seconds ago." I answered, stuttering as I did so. Damn my shyness! All was quiet for a few moments, before she spoke again.

"_Kyrie, huh? I've heard that name before…but where?" _I heard her muse and hum for a moment as she thought, before she gasped.

"_Wait, do you have white hair, one bang completely covering your right eye? Brown eyes? Wear a half-heart hairclip to keep some of your hair out of your face?" _she asked. I nodded.

"Y-yes, I do. Why?" I asked, confused. She knew my name?

"_Ah-ha! I knew it! We met once in Hollow Bastion, remember? You bumped into me! Well, I bumped into you but details, details! Remember?" _I thought about it for a moment, before it hit me. The girl with the auburn hair, blue eyes, and freckles. But how did I remember her? We only met once, and it was by chance.

"Oh yeah, I do r-remember." suddenly, a figure began to materialize in front of me, and within moments a girl with auburn hair, blue eyes, and freckles appeared. She was still dressed as oddly as before, and feathers were braided into her hair and attached to the hilt of her sword. One strand was curled up, sticking out like an antennae, like before. She blinked, finally able to see me, before she held her gloved hand out to me.

"_Wow, I can finally see you! Hmm… you look kinda different, but maybe it's because of the clothes. Anyways, nice to meetcha!" _I nodded as I took her hand.

"Yeah, n-nice to meet you, t-too." we stared at each other for a few moments, before she pulled her hand back and scratched the back of her head.

"_Y'know, I feel like I know you. But that can't be right, I've never met you before! Well, except back in Hollow Bastion, but when we met then I still had the feeling like I knew you. Funny, huh?" _she laughed embarrassingly. I nodded in agreement, I felt like I knew this girl. But I don't remember her appearing in any of my dreams, so…how did I know her? Suddenly though, everything began to fade away. I felt my body sinking into the ground, as a mist flowed in and obscured her figure.

"_Hey, wait! We're you going? Come back!"_

-Meanwhile-

"Ah!" Kairi cried in alarm as the white-haired girl suddenly collapsed without warning. Selphie gasped as she turned back and approached them, not sure exactly what was going on. Kairi quickly knelt down beside the unconscious girl immediately, pulling her head into her lap before turning to Selphie.

"Selphie, go and get Axel and the others! Hurry!" she exclaimed. The girl nodded and turned to run down the path, leaving the two behind.

She ran and ran until she reached a cream-colored two story house, before throwing the door open and running inside. She ran into the living room, where sure enough, three men sat, arguing about something or another. They stopped though when she ran in, panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath. The tallest of the three- who had spiky red hair, green eyes, and purple tear-drop shaped markings on his cheeks- raised his eyebrow at her as he got to his feet, the other two following suit.

He was dressed in khaki pants, a white jacket with no sleeves and huge brown pockets with brown lining, a yellow and brown keffiyeh sticking out of the red tank top from around his waist, a black tank top underneath the red one, and a chain hanging out on the right side of his waist. The man, Axel, blinked at her in confusion before crossing his arms in irritation.

"Selphie? Don't you know how to knock? What's going-"

"K-Kyrie's…in…trouble! She just…fainted! We don't know how, but-" she explained urgently, panting heavily as she did so. The man's eyes widened and within seconds he was out the door, not even questioning which direction the girl was. The other two men- Demyx and Xigbar- looked at each other in concern before following after him, with Selphie running behind them.

"_Kyrie!" _Axel thought as he ran, following the path knowing that she would be somewhere along it. He quickly reached the fork in the road, where Kairi and the unconscious girl were. She looked at him in worry as she cradled the girl's head in her arms.

"Axel!" she exclaimed as the pyro knelt down next to the girl, looking her over. He was silent for a few moments, before scooping her into his arms and getting to his feet. He was running on pure adrenaline, and instinct told him that she didn't faint from exhaustion or hunger. It was something else entirely different.

Demyx, Xigbar, and Selphie had just caught up with the man before he turned, meeting their gaze. They could see the worry burning in his eyes, and took a few steps back, fearing he would torch them.

"C'mon, let's get her back to the house."

-Later-

Axel was silent as he watched over her, sitting on the edge of their large double bed. It had been a few hours since she had gone unconscious, and hadn't stirred once. He reached out and brushed her bangs back, before cupping her cheek.

"Kyrie…" he whispered, feeling the worry eat away at him as numerous worst case scenarios flashed through his mind. He heard her sigh softly as she began to stir, her eyes fluttering open as she gazed around the room. She didn't know where she was for a moment, and looked around in confusion.

"_Huh? Where am I…?" _she thought as she looked around. But a hand on her cheek made her turn to Axel as he leaned over her, concern and relief burning in his emerald irises.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked softly as he stared down at her. She nodded as she reached up, placing her hand over his. She smiled.

"Yes…I'm okay." she answered. He smirked a little before a frown took its place. "What happened? Selphie came to us running like a bat out of hell, only to tell us that you had passed out." he questioned. The girl was silent for a few moments, before shrugging.

"I'm…not sure. I think…it was a dream. But it was so strange…." she mumbled. He was silent before shaking his head, making her sit up as she blinked at him in confusion.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. You're okay, that's all that matters. Got it memorized?" he joked, tapping his right temple as he did so. She giggled as he leaned in, capturing her lips with his. She blinked at him owlishly, her cheeks flaring crimson, before closing her eyes and melting into the bliss. After a few moments, the two parted, her blushing brightly and him smirking mischievously at her. He quickly stood, helping her to he feet as he did so.

"C'mon, the others are downstairs eating dinner. And to be brutally honest, I'm famished!" he added in his usual joking tone. She nodded and grasped his hand, the two walking out of the room and down the stairs to meet the others. But one thing still lingered in her mind.

"_Was that…a dream? Or…was it something more…?"_

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><p><strong>Ooooh, who WAS that auburn-haired girl? Lol, just kidding. ...What? Don't look at me! You'll just have to wait and see!<strong>

**These chapters are going to be updated slower because of life, so don't expect them every other day. (probably every other five days or something. Depends.) So I hoped you enjoyed and please...**

**Review!**


	2. At Dusk I Will Think Of You

**Okay, here's the second chapter! Enjoy!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 2

All was quiet in the forest as an auburn-haired girl slept, curled up inside her sleeping bag as she twisted and turned in her sleep as her brows furrowed in confusion. Within seconds, her cyan eyes flashed open and she sat up, gasping.

"Gah!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms into the air, panting heavily before she placed a hand over her heart. All was quiet for a few minutes as she panted, before she sighed. Looking around, she realized she was still at her camp she had set up hours ago. She fell back with a sigh, staring up at the night sky and the stars that covered it, like fragments of glass on a black blanket. She watched the sky for a few moments, before brushing her sweaty bangs back.

"Wow…what a weird dream. That's it, no more sweets or junk food before bedtime! I need my energy if I'm to uphold justice and protect the innocent. I don't need weird dreams about people who I don't even know!" she ranted as she stared at the sky. She paused and stared at the moon, the white sphere full as it stood out among the darkness of the sky. For a moment, she saw white hair and brown eyes, and the face of a person who she had dreamt of meeting once again.

"Kyrie…huh. For some reason, I feel like I know you." she paused and her brow furrowed, before she groaned. "Augh! Stop it! Stop it! Do **not** associate dreams with reality! She's just a figment of my imagination- yeah, that's it! She's not real!" she exclaimed, slapping her palms against her cheeks as she did so. With that she rolled over, zipping her sleeping bag up so that it was just under her chin.

"Well, nighty-night whoever is out there! Because Miu is going to sleep and is staying asleep until morning! …unless someone tries to steal my erotica books. **Then** I'll wake up."

-Meanwhile-

"Kyrie? Uh, Kyrie?"

"…"

"Hello! Earth to **Master **Kyrie! Your student would like to train please!" the white-haired girl gasped as she snapped back into attention, looking ahead of her to see Kairi with her arms crossed, one hand holding her keyblade as she tapped her foot impatiently. The girl gave an embarrassed smile as Axel and Demyx chuckled, the two watching as the girls began their training session.

"Oops…sorry Kairi. Didn't mean to space out like that." she apologized as she scratched the back of her head. The girl pouted for a moment, before smiling and nodded.

"It's okay. But…are you sure you're okay? You've been acting really weird…" she asked. After the incident that happened a few days ago, Kyrie had been unusually quiet and inattentive, something her friends and Axel caught easily. But now it was Saturday, a day where the two girls had a chance to catch up on some much needed training. Kyrie shook her head as she summoned her keyblades.

"No, I'm fine. Really." she answered adamantly. Kairi sighed and nodded reluctantly as she got into position, Destiny's Embrace held tightly in her hands as she did so. Kyrie followed suit, her white Kingdom Key and Lost Memory keyblade twirling in her hands as the two stared each other down. The two men watched on from the sidelines, giving the girls their full support as they did so.

"Whoo! Go babe!" Axel called as his hands cupped his mouth so they could hear him loud and clear. Demyx nodded and followed suit.

"Yeah, you can do it, Kairi!" he added. Both girls smiled, but didn't avert their gaze to look at them. After a few tense moments, Kyrie ran in, forcing Kairi to step back as she protected herself from the girl's blows. After Kyrie became a master only weeks ago, Kairi had spent a whole week pestering the girl to take her as her first apprentice, something Kyrie was reluctant to do. But after a while, she finally caved in, and so the two would come to the island and train while either Axel, Demyx, or Xigbar watched.

Said two boys watched the two spar, Demyx absentmindedly playing with the zipper of his over jacket as they did so. He was dressed in a black over jacket, a blue tank top with a black one underneath, and dark jeans with sneakers. A silver chain with a musical note attached hung around his neck, and another chain hung out from his jeans.

"Jeez, Kyrie doesn't lighten up one bit. But doesn't she seem a bit…off today?" he asked as they watched. Axel was silent, Kyrie **was **a bit off today, more so than she had been for the past couple of days. Dark circles were starting to form under her eyes, showing the lack of sleep she had been getting; and even her body movements were slower than usual, pointing to some exhaustion as well. He nodded.

"Yeah…she's been waking up in cold sweat the past couple of nights. She's probably exhausted." he answered, his brows furrowing. He moved his gaze from the girls to the ocean, thinking back to what had been the start of recurring nightmares for the girl a few days ago.

-Flashback-

"_Ngh…no…"_

"_Mm?" _Axel groaned as he stirred, cracking his eye open as he did so. He could feel something shaking in his arms and looked down to see Kyrie twisting and turning slightly, sweat coating her temples as she trembled. Fully awake now, he sat up, staring at her in worry before reaching out and gently shook her shoulder.

"_Kyrie, babe? Hey, wake up." _he spoke softly as he continued to shake her shoulder. After a few moments, she gasped loudly, sitting up and nearly colliding his head with hers as she cried out in surprise.

"_No!" _she exclaimed in alarm. He jumped back, surprised as she sat there, panting heavily. After a few moments, she blinked at him in confusion as she began to calm down.

"_A…Axel?" _she gasped. He nodded as he reached out, brushing her bangs away from her right eye as he stared at her in concern. _"Yeah, it's me. You okay? Did you have a bad dream?" _she was silent as she sat there, before nodding slowly.

"_Wanna talk about it?" _she shook her head.

"_N…no. Let's…just go back to bed. Okay?" _he stared at her reluctantly before nodding, laying back and pulling her against his chest. All was quiet as the two slowly drifted back to sleep, one thought lingering in the pyro's mind before sleep took him.

"_**What did she dream about?"**_

-End of flashback-

Ever since then, she had been waking up every night, the same dream repeating over and over again. She wouldn't tell him much about the dream, except that in the dream someone was always chasing her, someone she didn't know. He was quickly brought out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of a keyblade being knocked out of someone's hand and turned, seeing that Kyrie had managed to get Kairi off guard and knock her keyblade out of her hands. The girl sighed as she slung one of the blades over her shoulder, the other resting on her hip.

"You're getting good, but you need to keep a better grip on your keyblade. It'll be easy for heartless or any other enemy to knock it out of your hand if you don't." she scolded. Kairi nodded and summoned the blade back into her hands, before Kyrie dispelled hers.

"I think we're done for today. You're getting better." Kairi brightened at this.

"Really? You think so?" Kyrie nodded.

"Of course I do. You better head back before the mayor starts to wonder where you are. We'll do this tomorrow, okay?" Kairi hesitated for a moment.

"Um, actually, Selphie and I have some errands to do tomorrow so…" she paused for a moment before continuing.

"And your birthday's in a few days so we can start training again after your birthday. Is that okay, Master Kyrie?" Kyrie visibly flinched at the title, but nodded anyways. She was a bit suspicious, since Selphie hadn't said anything about being busy this weekend, but she decided to give Kairi the break.

"Okay, we'll start this again the day after my birthday. But don't be late or try to bail, okay?" she said sternly. The girl giggled and nodded before waving goodbye and making her way to the dock. Demyx got up and stretched before yawning.

"I'm gonna head back too. Before Xiggy tries to make dinner again. See ya!" and with that, he opened a corridor and disappeared, leaving Axel and Kyrie alone on the island. All was quiet for a few minutes before Axel stood, walking over to her side as he grasped her hand. She was still significantly shorter than him, but she had grown some. Now she was almost as tall as Selphie, something the pleased her despite Selphie being a little shorter than Kairi.

"Hey, wanna go sit on the crooked palm tree?" he asked as he looked down at her. She was silent for a moment before nodding, allowing him to lead the way as they walked towards the Seaside Shack. After going through that and crossing the bridge, the two young adults found themselves at the crooked palm tree, Kyrie sitting on its trunk while Axel stood with his arms crossed. The girl scooted closer so that she was next to the pyro, resting her head on his shoulder as she did so. He smirked at this, allowing her to rest her head on him as the two stared at the setting sun.

"Hey, Kyrie. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red." the girl rolled her eyes at this as he continued. "You see, light is made up of lots of colors. And out of all those colors-"

"Red is the one that travels the farthest. Axel, you've told me a thousand times. You even brought it up when you, me, and Roxas were waiting for-" at this, she stopped. He raised his eyebrow at her before she continued. "-You brought it up when the three of us ate ice-cream together."

"Yeah, back when you and Roxas acted like zombies- ow!" he exclaimed as she smacked him. "I did not act like a zombie!" she protested. He smirked a little as he rubbed the spot where she had hit him.

"Heh, whatever you say, **Master** Kyrie." something inside her snapped at this as she glared angrily at him.

"Stop calling me that! I'm sick and tired of everyone pointing out that I'm a keyblade master! I never **wanted **to be a keyblade master in the first place!" she shouted, her temper flaring. His eyes widened as he stared at her, before she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Axel, I'm so sorry. I-"

"No, it's uh, okay. Damn, I didn't know you felt that way. What a lousy boyfriend I am." he interrupted, trying to be calm and not get angry at her outburst, which he would've done normally if it wasn't such a sensitive topic. She shook her head as she placed her hand on his cheek, turning him towards her.

"No, Axel, you're not a lousy boyfriend. It's just that…the thing is…I never asked for this. I never asked to wield the keyblade as a master, I never asked to go on all of these adventures. All I wanted was to just be normal now that Xemnas is gone. But…" she paused, looking towards the sunset.

"I'm sure that Riku and Sora never asked for this, either. To travel all over the worlds, to fight the heartless, or to have to fight master Xehanort. I'm so selfish…because they're being forced into this too and all I can think about is myself. I'm so selfish." he was silent before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"Kyrie, it's normal to feel that way. If I was in your position, I would've felt the same too. Besides, I'd rather you be a little selfish instead of selfless. You would've gotten on my nerves if it was the other way around." he explained. She smiled a little at this, before glancing at a bulge in her pocket.

"Speaking of being selfless…um…there's something I want to give you." she said shyly as she reached into her pocket, her cheeks stained crimson. He looked over at what she was pulling out, before his eyes widened. She quickly took his hand and placed the object into it, before curling his fingers over it. He stared.

"Is this…a Wayfinder…?" he asked dubiously. She nodded shyly, her cheeks turning a darker shade of red as she did so. The Wayfinder was made of Thalassa shells that were a pale yellow towards the center and pink towards the tips, a token resembling a flame resting in the center. Red stitches held the shells together and a simple drawing of Axel's face was drawn in on the topmost shell. A silver chain connected to the top of the shell, so that it could be attacked to a belt or a bag. It almost resembled Sora's, but had a few differences.

"Y-yes…Kairi showed me how to make one. I wanted to give you this before I left with Sora and Riku…but I couldn't find the chance to. When I got back…I decided to wait until before my birthday. I wanted to make something that tied us together, like the Wayfinder you gave me." she explained. Sure, Axel hadn't made the Wayfinder she had, but he had delivered it, thus giving him a connection to her. He stared at the charm silently for a few minutes, making her nervous and anxious as she waited for his response. After a while, he placed a hand on her head, making her look up at him in confusion as he stared down at her.

"Kyrie…you didn't have to make this. Ever since the day we met, we've always been connected. Got it memorized?" he chuckled, pointing to his temple. Her eyes widened and she dropped her gaze in embarrassment, before he pulled her to his chest.

"But thanks, I'm glad you made it. It's one more thing for us to share." and with that he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers as he held her tightly against him. She smiled into the kiss and closed her eyes, returning it as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He groaned a little in the kiss, sliding his tongue against her lips as he tried to deepen it. She hesitated for a moment before opening a little, allowing him to explore.

After a few minutes, the two pulled apart, panting heavily as they did so.

"Heh, left you breathless, didn't I?" Axel smirked as he panted. The girl blushed brightly, using her bangs to cover to face as they turned their attention to the sunset. As soon as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, Kyrie jumped off the trunk and joined Axel as they began to walk across the wooden bridge.

But unbeknownst to them, a figure had been watching them, a cold smirk on his lips as he watched them walk hand in hand towards the dock. He was an older man with dark skin and amber-brown eyes, his silver hair reaching past his shoulders. He looked like he was in his late twenties, early thirties, and was dressed in an Organization cloak. A plan began forming in his mind as he watched the young man hold her tightly against his chest as he began rowing the boat, a plan that would successfully capture the girl without much effort.

"_Yes…this girl is so very pure, I cannot deny that any further; she truly is the Princess of Light. The heart of all kingdoms is calling for her, and I cannot deny it no longer. Soon, the worlds and all of the power of Kingdom Hearts will belong to me."_ he then turned, opening a dark corridor as another man joined him, this one resembling him except that he was younger than the man and his silver hair reached just above his shoulders.

"Vanitas, it seems that I've found our key to ultimate power. Within a few days I will need your assistance." the young man nodded, his cat-like yellow eyes glowing with mirth. His appearance faltered for a second, changing to that of a boy with black, spiky hair. The man's appearance faltered for a moment as well, revealing an old man with a gray goatee and no hair atop his head.

"Whatever you say, old man. Whatever you say."

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><p><strong>Uh-oh, can you guess who those two were? I bet you can't. ;P<strong>

**Oh, and if you want some pics of Axel's outfit and Miu, here's some links.**

** hisui-no-afurika . deviantart art/ At - Sunset - I - ll- Remember-You- 271808290 (I do not take credit for the outfit. Give the credit where it's due! (also, remove all of the spaces!)**

**and here's Miu! k-chanlovesanimexd . deviantart gallery/ 23914181#/ d4kpupn (this is her, in case I didn't give a good description in "Bonded Souls". Also remove all of the spaces)**

**Anyways, enjoy! And review!**


	3. The Mystery Deepens

**Okay, here's the third chapter of the story! Sorry for the wait, but I am in a bit of a block that I can't seem to get out of. (it might be because of school, though) So I might not update for awhile. Sorry for the inconvienience!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

* * *

><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 3

All was quiet as a group of men sat in a pure white room, thirteen large chairs surrounding the room and forming a circle around its center. Each had a Nobodies' insignia on it, forming the back of the chairs as the seats and arms stuck out. Four of the men all looked similar, silver hair, tanned skin, but they had their differences.

The first had clean, much whiter hair and darker skin, and was dressed in a black leather coat with red interior and lining. He also wore a vest under the coat, white gloves, pants, and boots that made him stand out of the three.

The second had messy silver hair that reached mid-back, and he was dressed in an Organization black cloak. He looked around the same age as the first man, and just as emotionless.

The third had amber-brown eyes and his silver hair formed two long bangs, framing his face while the rest of his hair was vertical and spiky. He wore a skintight black, high collared shirt and tan hakama that was held up by a black belt. Red suspenders also crisscrossed his chest, and a hold heart emblem rested on the belt of his hakama.

Then the fourth and final man, who looked no more than a boy, had bangs that framed his face as well, along with cat-like yellow eyes. He also wore a cloak, but his appearance would falter from time to time, from a silver-haired boy to a black-haired boy with spiky hair. All four were seated next to each other, the third man seated higher than the other two. He looked at the three men on either side of him, before looking to the others.

The rest of the group were dressed in the black coats of Organization XIII, their hoods raised so that no one could see their true identities. He was silent for a moment before speaking.

"Gentlemen, it has come to my attention that the boy Riku has passed his Mark of Mastery. Is this true?" he asked them. They were silent for a moment, before nodding. Having failed Sora's capture thanks to the King and Riku, the three were somewhat angered by the failure.

"Yes, it seems that we were unable to hinder him. He truly is a master of the keyblade. Thankfully, young Sora was unable to pass due to our interference." the second man answered, his hands folded together in his lap. The first man shook his head at this.

"He may have passed, but young Riku still fights my essence that has remained in his heart these past two years. He may be of use to us, if we can transform him to become a vessel exactly like Terra." he added. The youngest of the four scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Like we need another pansy like that. One's more than enough." he snorted. The two older men stared coldly at the youngest, before the third man raised his hand to silence them.

"Xemnas, Ansem, Vanitas, calm yourselves. I only asked if he had passed, nothing further. Now…" he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as his head rested on his folded hands.

"The task I am about to give all of you is of the highest importance, we must not fail. The girl will be celebrating her birthday tomorrow, the perfect chance to capture her since she will not be suspecting us. Vanitas and I will go and distract her companions, while you two-" he looked at Ansem and Xemnas, who were staring at him intently.

"-Will go and take her while they are distracted. If there are more of her allies around, I am sure that they will try to escape with her. If that is the case, we will use our new ally to track her down and you both will assist us in distracting them. We must also refrain from going in large numbers because the area is small, and we could lose her in all of the confusion. You may come in now." the doors opened and in walked another man, also dressed in an organization cloak. But he kept his hood up as he approached the center of the room, his face obscured by the hood. He stopped, getting down on one knee as he knelt before the large group.

"You know what you must do, correct?" the man nodded.

"Yes…Master Xehanort. By twilight tomorrow, the girl will be yours."

-Meanwhile, Dreamscape-

I could hear them coming for me, but I didn't know who **they** were. I knew I had to keep running, running, **running**… until my legs gave out. Dark trees towered around me, reaching for the night sky as I ran. The forest was dark, eerie sounds reverberating around me along with the sounds of the multiple footsteps of my pursuers. I knew I was dreaming, and I knew about this dream. It was the same dream I've been having for the past week, non-stop. I was always being chased, by whom I never knew. I would always wake up before I found out. But the dream was different this time, I don't know why, but it was.

Looking up, I saw white light just beyond the path, and drove my legs even faster. But once I reached the light, despair filled me as I stared at the full moon, the edge of a cliff just a few feet ahead of me. I was being herded like an animal, and now I was trapped. I growled, turning and holding out my arms, ready to summon my keyblades and take my pursuers on. But for some reason…my keyblades wouldn't appear.

"_Huh? What's happening?" _I exclaimed, staring at my bare hands as I clenched and unclenched them.

"_It seems that even the mighty keyblade has given up on you, girl." _I gasped and looked up, to see an old man with dark skin, amber eyes, and a goatee. I gasped and took a step back, this was the same old man who had appeared in a dream so long ago, back when I was in the organization. **This** was the man who nearly blinded me in my right eye. But my eyes narrowed instantly and I growled.

"_Who are you, and what do you want with me?" _I demanded. But the old man smirked, amused by my demands. Another voice spoke out a few feet behind him, making me blink in confusion.

"_Ah, young Kyrie, you are so perceptive, yet naïve. Our goal is still the same, and you are needed for us to accomplish it." _from behind him walked out the man who I haven't seen in a year, Xemnas. Two other people walked out from behind them, both looking similar to Xemnas and the old man. Then more people began to walk forward, all dressed in Organization coats. They continued to walk forward, forcing me to walk back until my foot touched the edge of the cliff. The youngest of the four smirked.

"_Ready to surrender, princess?" _I growled at him when suddenly, the rock crumbled from under me, causing me to plummet into the darkness.

-Out of Dreamscape-

Kyrie awoke with a gasp as she sat up in bed, covered in a cold sweat. She gazed around the room before sighing, glad that it was only a dream. The morning light was already filtering through the windows and curtains, covering half of the bed with light while the rest remained in shadow.

"_But this dream…it was so different. I saw the men who were chasing me, and one of them was Xemnas. But I didn't really know the other three, or the others for that matter…" _she thought as she placed a hand over her racing heart. A loud snore from beside her startled her, making her turn before blinking and giggling loudly.

Axel was sound asleep as he lay beside her, his mouth opened slightly as he snored. Being careful as to not disturb him, she quickly got up and walked to the door, slipping out and closing it softly behind her. With that she went downstairs, the smell of something being burnt reaching her nostrils. Then crashing and arguing started up, making her giggle.

"_Oh boy, they must've burned something again." _she thought with a smile. Once she got downstairs and into the kitchen, she stared. The entire kitchen was in chaos; splattered eggs covered the floor along with bits of flour while the counters were covered in splatters of what looked like pancake batter. Demyx and Xigbar were currently glaring at each other, locked in a battle of wills. Demyx was sporting a spatula while Xigbar was holding a messy egg beater, both covered in bits of egg and flower.

"Now look what you did, the food's ruined! How's Angel gonna have a good birthday breakfast now, huh?" she blinked at the in confusion before it clicked. _"Oh yeah, today's my nineteenth birthday…" _

"Well if you would've left me alone to cook, none of this would've happened! You know you can't cook Xiggy!"

"Yeah right, you couldn't cook your way out of a paper bag, Demmy!"

"Hey, now that's-"

"Uh, guys?" they stopped and looked over, spotting Kyrie as she stood at the breakfast bar. They stared at her for a few moments, before blushing brightly and hiding the spatula/egg beater behind their backs and giving a nervous laugh.

"Oh, uh…morning, Kyrie! Happy birthday!" Demyx greeted, a bright blush on his face as he gave a small wave. Xigbar glared and shoved him a little, before looking back at the white-haired girl.

"Uh, yeah. Happy birthday, Angel. Er… sorry about the mess, but I guess the pancake batter and the eggs wanted to be extra feisty today." he joked, giving her a smirk. She laughed at this and shook her head, before walking over to the broom closet to get cleaning supplies.

"Aw, you both are so sweet. But you didn't have to go through all the trouble, I would've been fine with just eating cereal." she explained as she pulled out the mop and broom. Demyx shook his head as he walked over, helping her get out the cleaning supplies as he did so.

"No way, no person wants to start off their birthday with a lousy breakfast like cereal! There should be pancakes, eggs, bacon, waffles, French toast-"

"And of course one pyro boyfriend to spice things up." another voice chuckled. Before she could turn, two hands covered her eyes, blocking out her sight. She jumped in surprise and gave a small squeak before relaxing, recognizing the voice.

"Good morning, babe. Happy birthday." the voice chuckled into her ear before giving her a peck on the cheek. She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms, not amused since she almost had a heart-attack.

"Axel, why did you cover my eyes? I can't see!" she protested as she reached up to pull his hands away from her eyes. But he simply laughed.

"That's the whole point of a surprise. You're not supposed to see what the surprise is!" with that he released his hands from her eyes and stepped in front of her, looking her over as he did so.

"Hm…no, this isn't gonna do. We can't go out for your birthday with you dressed in that! Got it memorized?" he mused as he looked her over. She blushed brightly and looked down, she was only in her silk night dress that had lace trimming. Then she blinked.

"Huh? Go out? But Axel, I've got school today! I can't just ditch-" she started, but was cut off when Axel pressed his lips against hers. He pulled back after a moment, and winked at her. She blushed a little at this and looked down, embarrassed.

"…I've…I've got s-school…"

"C'mon Kyrie, please? I wanna take you out for your birthday, can't you just ditch school? It's only one day." he whined, using his famous small pout. He knew that was her weakness, and saw her blush darken as she began twiddling her thumbs. She looked down, looked back up to see him pouting, before looking back down again. She repeated this a few times before she sighed, giving in..

"O…okay. I guess I can ditch school for once." she answered, making him smile in triumph. With that he turned her around, pushing her lightly in the direction of the stairs.

"Go get ready. I'll help these two clean up the kitchen." he commanded. She looked at him and nodded before running towards the stairs. Once she was gone, he turned to Demyx and Xigbar.

"Now let's hurry and get this place clean. Kyrie and I have places to go and things to do, at least until Kairi and the others finish up with the p-a-r-t-y. Got it memorized?"

-Twenty Minutes later-

Kyrie quickly ran down the stairs dressed in a white, short sleeved, over sweater and a silver halter top, grey Capri's, and brown sandals. Her blue heart hairclip was still in her hair holding it back, and her heart necklace still adorned her neck; but now a familiar charm bracelet clung to her wrist, various charms attached to it. There was a sea-salt ice cream bar, a musical note, a pink heart, a pencil, and a skull with crossbones.

"Axel, I'm ready!" she called as she got to the foot of the stairs, ready to walk into the kitchen. But Axel was already there, dressed in his usual outfit. He smirked as he looked her over, making her blush a little as he held his arm out. Demyx and Xigbar were right behind him, snickering a little at the blush on her face.

"Well, c'mon. We don't have all day!" he smirked. She nodded and linked her arm with his as Demyx opened a dark corridor.

"Okay, I'll come and pick you guys up at five. Axel, you know where to go." Demyx explained. The two nodded as they walked through, before Axel turned to them.

"See ya at five." and with that they were gone.

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><p><strong>Gosh, I think I'm overloading this with mysteries. But don't worry, they will ALL be answered by the end of this third and final part of the series. So I hope you enjoyed and please, review. (no, seriously. Reviews actually help with blocks.)<strong>


	4. Twilight Festival

**Okay, sorry for the long wait, but finals are just around the corner and I'm studying my ass off. So I might not update for a while. (again)**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

* * *

><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 4

As soon as the two entered the dark corridor, Axel covered the girl's eyes immediately using his hands, making her gasp in surprise.

"Ah, Axel! What're you-"

"Hush. Don't worry, I'm not kidnapping you or anything. But I don't wanna ruin the surprise so…tough luck." he chuckled into her ear. She pouted and crossed her arms, acting like a small child who didn't get what she wanted.

"Axel, do we have to really have to do this?" she whined, making him snicker at how adorable she looked with her arms crossed and pouting.

"Yup. Sorry babe." she could hear the smirk in his voice as he forced her to walk, making sure that her eyes were completely covered. As they walked, she could feel the darkness slowly zapping her strength away, until it all of a sudden stopped. She could feel the warm sun on her skin, and everything was noisy. Where had he taken her?

"All right, you can open them now." and with that, he withdrew his hands, making her blink a couple of times before she gasped; they were in Twilight town!

"_Ah…" _she thought as she looked around, everything was completely different. There were rides and stands, either selling food or playing games, and there were so many people! The smell of hot dogs, burgers, and sweets filled her nostrils as she sniffed, taken aback by the change in the normally quiet town. Axel chuckled at the expression on her face as she looked around at all of the colorful decorations, before she turned to him.

"Axel, what's-"

"This is the end of the summer fair that Twilight town holds every year. It's still summer vacation here, remember?" he explained, smirking at her as he did so. She nodded slowly as he walked forward, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as he did so.

"And since you've never been to the end of the summer fair, I'd thought I take you for your birthday since it's the exact same day. Got it memorized?" he finished as he tapped his temple. She was quiet for a few moments, her face expressionless, before she beamed like a small child and hugged him tightly.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Axel!" she cried as she hugged him, burying her face into his stomach. She immediately pulled away and began walking around, admiring the sights and going over to stands to look on curiously as people played games or bought food. Axel watched her as she browsed around, looking like a little kid who went to an amusement park for the first time. After a few minutes, she stopped and came back before grabbing his wrist.

"Axel, let's go ride some rides!" she exclaimed as she began tugging on it. He shrugged.

"Sure, why not? It IS your birthday, after all." he agreed as the two walked over to the ticket booth and bought two wristbands for the rides. They looked around at the various rides, from Ferris wheels to bumper cars, before Kyrie walked towards a rollercoaster.

"Axel, what kind of ride is that?" she asked as she pointed, staring at him in curiosity. He blinked at her in confusion before it hit him, she had never been to a fair before. Sure, she went to the little festivals on the Destiny Islands, but they were nothing compared to the fair. The only rides they ever had were for the little kids, no rollercoaster's or Ferris wheels.

"That's a rollercoaster, Kyrie. They're really fast rides, and you could get sick on them if you're not careful. You sure you wanna go on this one?" he explained. She was silent before turning her attention to the ride as it drove by and went in a loop. After a moment, she nodded.

"Yup, positive." she assured as she started for the ride. Axel was silent before following after her, wondering if taking her to the fair was a bad idea…

-a few minutes later-

"Wow, it was so…wow! It was so fast, and then the turns and the loops, god, it was so much fun!" Kyrie chattered as she and Axel exited the ride, with her fired up as she held his hand tightly. He smiled, this was the first that he had seen her so energetic, so talkative. And it actually turned him on a little.

"Glad you liked it. Wanna go and get something to eat, or do you wanna keep riding rides?" he asked as he looked down at her. She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with joy and excitement.

"Let's ride more rides! They're so much fun!" she exclaimed, pulling his hand as she led him towards the bumper cars. His eyes softened as they got in line, children crowding his legs as they tried to look over the railing that led to the ride. This was probably the first place he had taken her to outside of the Destiny Islands, and it was probably their first time outside the islands together in a year.

"_She looks so happy… you did good, Axel. You did good." _he thought as he watched her smile at the children who were crowded around her legs as they tried to look over her somewhat bigger form. But a black shape moved from the corner of his eye and he turned, watching a retreating figure dressed in a ragged cloak as they disappeared down an alleyway. His eyes narrowed.

"_Huh? Who was that?"_

-Later-

"_Where is he?" _Kyrie thought as she looked around the crowd, trying to find Axel. The two had been separated after he went to the bathroom, and she had no idea where he was. She had tried looking at the stands, already tried the bathroom but he wasn't there, and was now standing in front of a ring toss stand as she looked around for him.

"Well look who it is, it's little miss snow angel." she groaned and turned around to see Seifer, Fuu, and Rai as they approached her. Fuu was carrying a hotdog layered with toppings while the other boys carried corndogs; each was wearing a mask on the side of their head.

"Ugh, what do you want, Seifer?" she groaned as she turned to them. Though she hasn't seen him since the time she and Sora came here to tell Hayner and the others that Kairi was okay, the two still held animosity towards each other. The boy smirked as he crossed his arms, looking over her shoulder before looking back at her.

"Oh, so you can talk now? I'm impressed. So, where's your boy toy? He ditch ya?" he smirked, crossing his arms as he did so. The girl narrowed her eyes, even after saving his ass, he still didn't give her an ounce of respect. She growled.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for your crap, okay? So just leave me alone and go back to your little fan club." she snapped as she turned. He growled at this as he grabbed her shoulder, clearly not liking her attitude.

"Now you just wait a sec-" before he could finish, she had turned and grabbed the half-eaten corndog out of his hand before shoving it in his face and stomping on his foot, hard.

"Ahhh! It hurts! That fucking hurts!" he cried as he held up his foot, mustard smeared all over his face from the fallen corndog. The girl smirked as she watched him howl in pain, before he quickly recovered and pointed at her.

"That's it, you're dead!" he roared. She gulped and backed up, before turning and sprinting down the road like a bat out of hell as the trio chased her.

"Hey, get back here!"

"Stop."

"You're gonna pay for hurtin' Seifer, Y'know!"

"_Man, this is bad. Bad! Bad! Bad! Where am I-" _she thought before spotting Axel just as she was about to pass a popcorn stand. She then noticed the alleyway a few feet away from him, and smirked. Bingo.

"Hey, Kyrie! Where have you be-" before he could finish, she grabbed his arm and pulled him along as the two ran into the alley. Seifer growled as he stopped in front of the alleyway, out of breath as he looked around for the girl.

"Little- where is she?" he growled as he panted. Rai and Fuu stopped beside him and looked around, before peeking into the alleyway. Inside they could see a guy with red hair holding onto something, someone's arms wrapped around his waist. They couldn't see who the people were, but they could definitely tell what they were doing. Fuu rolled her eyes.

"Make-out."

"Jeez, should they really be doing that? There's kids around here, Y'know." but Seifer rolled his eyes.

"They're not important. Now let's go find that little punk and teach her some respect." with that, the three continued on. After a few moments, Kyrie peeked out from behind Axel, and sighed.

"Phew, they're gone. My plan worked. Now let's go-" before she could move Axel stopped her, pinning her against the wall as he stared at her seductively. After getting grabbed by Kyrie and being dragged into the alley, Axel was startled as she planted her lips firmly against his and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He enjoyed it as he played along, realizing her intended plan, but now he wanted to do things his way.

"Uh-uh-uh…you know you just can't kiss me like that and expect to get away so easily. Got it memorized?" he purred as he captured her lips with his, eager to make it more than a fake-out make-out. Her eyes widened as she gasped, her mouth still glued to his, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside to deepen it. After a few seconds she gave in, her eyes closing as she returned the kiss, tangling her hands in his spiky red locks. The two continued this for a few minutes, before she opened her eyes and happened to glance at her left wrist. She pulled back immediately, crying out in shock as she stared.

"Oh no, it's gone!" she exclaimed as she looked at her wrist. Axel growled at little at this as his eyes narrowed.

"What's gone?"

"My charm bracelet, the one you gave me, it's gone!" she repeated. He looked down at her wrist and sighed before nodding. "Okay, c'mon. We'll split up and find it." she nodded as he led her out of the alley, the two splitting up as they looked for her charm bracelet.

"_Oh, where is it? Where is it…" _Kyrie thought as she searched the ground and under the stands, hoping someone hadn't walked off with it. As she continued to search, a figure who had been watching her for some time decided to make themselves known as they approached her.

"Is this yours?" a man's voice spoke as a hand entered her vision, her charm bracelet cradled in the center of a gauze-wrapped palm. She sighed in relief, it looked like the clasp had come undone and that it wasn't broken.

"Ah, yeah, it is. Thank you so-" she started as she got to her feet, and stopped, taking a few steps back as she paled. Standing before her was a hooded figure, the cloak he wore torn and ragged but managing to conceal most of his body and his entire face. His hands were wrapped in gauze that extended up his arm, from what she could see in the hand that held up her bracelet. The figure stared at her for a few moments, before walking over and placing the trinket in her hand.

"It looks precious to you, you mustn't lose it." he continued, his voice gruff. She nodded numbly as she held the charm to her chest. "Ah…t-thank you…"

"It is my pleasure, young Kyrie." he answered as he turned to walk away. She blinked at this, how did he know her name?

"H-how do you-"

"I know much about you, dear sister. But I must warn you, do not stay here long. They are coming for you, wishing to do us harm and bend us to their will. I wanted to make sure that you were safe, and I see that you are. Until we meet again…" and with that, he walked into the shadows and disappeared. She stood there for a few minutes, holding the bracelet limply in her hand. Just who…was that?

"Hey, Kyrie! You found it yet?" she heard Axel call from behind. She turned and saw him, nodding as he came closer. Her heart was uneasy as she thought about the man's warning, what did he mean? Once Axel got to her, he helped her put the bracelet back on before grasping her hand. He noticed the distant look in her eyes, but decided not to press her for details. She'd tell him when she wants to.

"C'mon, we'll go and have ice cream at the Station tower. You okay with that?" he asked. She nodded silently and allowed him to lead her away. Once they got to the top of the Station tower, he helped her sit on the ledge as he looked down at the ground below.

"Okay, I'm going to go and get us some ice cream. You wait here, all right?" he instructed as he was about to head down the stairs that led to the station courtyard. Kyrie nodded as she sat on the ledge, her hands in her lap as she stared at him.

"Mm-hm. Hurry back." she spoke softly, watching as he disappeared around the corner. She was silent a few minutes before turning her attention back to the sunset, remembering how she used to come up here and eat ice cream with him, Roxas, and Xion at the end of their missions. That was almost two years ago now. She gave a small, sad smile at the memory.

"_Roxas…Xion… I miss them so much. I know that they're inside Sora but… it just isn't the same. And I'm the only one who even remembers Xion." _she thought sadly, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. She waited silently for Axel to return as she watched the sunset, unaware that someone was watching her.

"Well, well, the little princess is all alone." she gasped and jumped, looking over to see a young man dressed in an organization cloak as he appeared from around the corner. He had tanned skin, silver hair, and bright yellow eyes as he sized her up. She growled, she recognized that face and that voice. It was the same boy that spoke in her dream, just as she fell off the cliff.

"Who are you? Are you a Nobody?" she demanded as she summoned her keyblades. The boy's smirk seemed to grow as he stared at her, making her uncomfortable.

"And here I thought you were just some wussy little girl who was all talk and no bite, but I can see that I was wrong. No doll face, I'm not a Nobody. I'm much worse." he taunted. She growled in irritation, this guy was a complete and utter asshole.

"Look, I'm not here for games! Now tell me, who are you?" she repeated, keyblades at the ready. He snorted.

"Like I'm scared. I can take you out easy, princess. The only reason I'm not knocking your ass out now is because I wasn't ordered to." he sneered. She looked him over, before her eyes widened. He looked similar to Xemnas. No, not Xemnas…

"Xehanort?" she questioned. He blinked at her before laughing, throwing his head back. She blinked at him in confusion as he quieted down into little chuckles, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Wrong, princess. Take a better look." suddenly his appearance changed, he no longer looked like Xehanort, now he looked like…

"Sora?" she gasped. Indeed, he did look like the boy except for his black hair and yellow eyes. His smirk seemed to grow as he shook his head, reverting back to his other form.

"Close, but not quite. See, about twelve years ago I was in a fight with a guy who's darkness I was born from. The little fool thought he could get rid of me, so we fought, him thinking that he had defeated me. But like the stupid idiot that he was, he lost his heart, and now it's floating around somewhere while I'm here, looking at the one person who could find it and use it to take me down." he sneered. She stared at him silently for a few moments before quickly shaking her head, glaring at him.

"Who ordered you to come here? Why do you wanna kidnap me?" she demanded. He rolled his eyes at her as he crossed his arms.

"Man, your questions are annoying. Sorry princess, but you'll find out eventually." and with that, he opened a corridor and walked through, allowing the darkness to devour him. She stared where he had been only moments ago, blinking as she dispelled her keyblades. She was silent as she stared at the spot the boy was, before spotting Axel as he came up the stairs, ice creams in hand.

"Sorry it took so long, I had to see Hay- er…there was a long line." he apologized as he handed her the ice cream. She nodded in understanding before sitting, with him joining her as they stared at the perpetual sunset, eating their ice cream quietly as they did so. She stared at the sunset thoughtfully as she ate, the boy's face still in her mind.

"_Who was that boy? And why did he look so much like Sora and Xehanort?"_

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><p><strong>Uh-oh...looks like trouble is brewing! What does the appearance of Vanitas mean? And who was that mysterious man?<strong>

**...don't look at me, I'm not telling! So anyways, before I go... please review!**


	5. Taken by the Darkness

**Okay, sorry for taking a awhile to post this. Just got done with finals, so I'm out for the summer! Whoo!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

* * *

><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 5

The two simply sat on top of the tower, discussing old times and making jokes before Demyx came back to take them home. Now they were currently standing in front of the house, Kyrie wedged between the two of them as said men looked at each other mischievously. The girl looked back and forth between the two, confused about the expressions on their faces.

"Uh, guys? Why're you-" before she could finish, Axel covered her eyes once more and she felt Demyx nudge her towards something.

"We've got one more surprise for ya." she felt someone, Demyx, grab her hand and start leading her somewhere as Axel walked behind her, hands still over her eyes. She growled in irritation.

"Again, Axel? This is the third time today you've covered my eyes! That's really getting old!" she protested. She heard him chuckle from behind her before she heard the sound of a gate opening, and little whispers and giggles just ahead of her. Suddenly, the hands retracted themselves from her eyes, and she blinked for a moment before-

"Surprise!" voices cried around her in unison. She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in surprise and looked around, amazed at what she saw. The whole backyard as decorated with confetti, streamers, balloons, and other party decorations. Large tables were set out with plates on them, one of them seating a cake at its center. Another table was in the corner of the yard, piled with presents. But what got her the most is who she saw mere feet from her.

Sora, Kairi, Riku, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Jack Skellington, Sally, Simba, Belle, a man she couldn't recognize, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were standing in front of her, all beaming at her. At first, she was shocked to see the residents from the other worlds because of the world order, but she was glad as she stared at them, speechless.

"Well? Surprised?" Sora beamed as he walked forward, a grin on his face as he placed a party hat on her head. Jack and Sally walked forward, the pumpkin king smiling the biggest grin she had ever seen.

"My, you look quite different from the last time we saw you. Have you been causing mischief?" he asked as Sally nodded, the two holding hands as they did so. Simba nodded in agreement as he came forward.

"Yeah, you're not a leopard anymore. I guess things change when you go to different places." he added. She nodded slowly, before a grin that mirrored Sora's appeared on her face. Suddenly Donald and Goofy ran forward, both wrapping their arms around her as they hugged her tightly.

"Happy birthday, Kyrie!"

"Gawrsh, it's great to see ya!" She smiled and nodded as she hugged the two, having not seen them since she went to take the Mark of Mastery Exam. Then she turned her attention to everyone else.

"Thank you all, that really was a great surprise!" she beamed. Everyone was silent for a few moments, before crying out in shock.

"Holy cow! She just spoke!" Pence exclaimed as he pointed at her, reeling back somewhat. Immediately, Olette, Belle, Sally, and Jasmine crowded around her, excited.

"This is wonderful, you can finally speak!" Belle smiled as she placed her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders. Sally nodded as she held her hands over her chest.

"Yes, and your voice is very soft. It's sweet." she added. The other girls nodded in agreement before the King stepped forward, clearing his throat so that all eyes were on him.

"Now, before we start the festivities, I have somethin' important we need ta talk about. Everyone here knows about the other worlds, so that's why I decided to let Sora bring all of you here. But remember-" he paused for a moment, before crossing his arms.

"We need ta keep the existence of other worlds secret when you all return home, am I clear? We can't disturb the world order anymore than we already have." he finished. The group nodded as Aladdin and Jasmine stepped forward, Genie right behind them.

"Don't worry, your Majesty. We promise not to let anyone in Agrabah know of the other worlds." Aladdin assured him. Hayner, Pence, and Olette were next as they stepped forward.

"Hey, we don't wanna do anything to screw up the world order so…" Hayner started, but stopped when Olette jumped in. "So we won't tell a soul, all right, your Majesty?" she added. He nodded as one by one, everyone stepped forward and vowed not to tell a soul. Amazingly, the man who was with Belle was the Beast, now known as Prince Adam; something she found out as he and Belle proclaimed their word to keep everything a secret. Once everyone was done, the King smiled.

"All right, then. Let's start the fun!" and with that, everyone spread about, getting into the party games that had been set up. Kyrie stood there for a few moments, watching as the residents from other worlds conversed with each other, talking about what their worlds looked like and about the world they were currently on. After a few moments, someone placed their hand on her shoulder, making her turn to look as Axel stared down at her.

"Hey, why're you just standing there? Go on, go and have some fun. This IS your party, remember?" he urged. She was silent for a few moments, before smiling and nodding.

"Okay, let's go."

-A little while later-

The party was going off without a hitch, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves as they played party games and chatted with the other guests. Kyrie laughed as Jack scared the living daylights out of Demyx, causing the Nobody to yelp in fright as he fell into the bushes, coming out with flowers, leaves, and twigs sticking out of his mullet. Jack grinned at him as some of the others laughed, making the water mage pout as he got out of the bushes and began pulling the twigs and leaves out of his hair.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I didn't think that you would get so scared." Jack apologized, like the gentleman he was as he tried to help the mage pull out the twigs and leaves. But Demyx glared at him and walked away, making the pumpkin king confused as he scratched his skull with one finger. Xigbar went over and assisted the boy, before shouts of protests came from one of the games.

"Simba, that's not fair! You've got fangs!" Sora exclaimed as the king of beasts pulled his head out of a basin, an apple clutched between his teeth as he yet again won a game of bobbing for apples. Donald and Goofy laughed at the expression on Simba's face, he looked a little smug as he stared at the boy.

"Sorry, Sora. Can't help it." he explained, his voice muffled and distorted because of the apple. Kyrie giggled at this and looked to where some of the guests were playing charades, the girls and prince Adam watching as Kairi moved around in a strange manner.

"You're a cat!"

"No, a dog!"

"A mouse?"

"I got it! You're a rabbit!" Kairi sighed as she stopped, looking at Belle gratefully as she did so. "Finally! Couldn't you guys tell that I was a rabbit?" With that the game continued, with Kyrie turning her attention to the last one…

"Hit it, Al!"

"Yeah, smash it to bits!" Aladdin was currently blindfolded, trying his best to hit the piñata that kept moving just out of his reach, causing him to constantly whack the ground with the stick he was using. Axel snickered as he pulled the rope, pulling the piñata up and down constantly as the man tried to hit it. That is until King Mickey waddled up behind him while blindfolded, running into him and causing the man to cry out in pain as he released the rope.

"Whoops, uh, sorry Axel. Gosh, that donkey is real hard to find…" he apologized as he continued on, the guests moving out of his way to avoid the needle as he tried to pin the tail on the donkey. Axel glared at the mouse as he rubbed his backside, before Aladdin slammed the stick down, smashing the piñata to bits. Everyone immediately came over, the younger ones rushing in to get candy while the older ones watched the spectacle as Hayner and Sora fought over the candy. Kyrie smiled and walked over, deciding to talk to the friends she hadn't seen in over a year.

"Hey, Simba. How's it been since I saw you last?" she asked as she knelt beside the lion. He smiled, sitting down as he turned his attention to her.

"Things have been well, actually. There are some problems, but nothing that me, Nala, Timon, Pumba, Zazu, and Rafiki can't handle. Nala's home taking care of Kiara right now, but she wishes you a happy birthday." he explained. She blinked.

"Kiara? Wow, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations." she beamed, excited at the thought of meeting their daughter. He grinned, showing his canines that could rip open a person's throat easily.

"Thank you. The next time you guys visit, I'll introduce you." the two looked up as Sora and Riku came over, the older boy scolding the younger one as he carried an armful of candy. At this, she decided to ask the question that had been bothering her since she came.

"Sora, Riku, how'd the test go? Did you pass?" she asked. After talking with Axel, she found out that the two boys, plus Kairi, Axel, Demyx, and Xigbar had planned to bring everyone here with the King's permission. But she had yet to find out if the two boys had passed their exam. The two stopped, looked at each other, and the latter grinned before looking back to her.

"Hey Kyrie, it's MASTER Riku, now!" Sora exclaimed, punching the other boy's shoulder as he did so. She smiled and nodded before she frowned, turning her attention to Sora.

"But Sora, what about you? Aren't you a keyblade master?" she questioned. Sora stared at her for a moment, before laughing embarrassingly. She got a sinking feeling that something had gone wrong with his exam.

"Um…I didn't…pass. But it's no big deal-" he was cut off suddenly when the girl hugged him tightly, her shoulders trembling a little. He looked down in confusion as she shook her head, a look of hurt and anger etched in her features.

"…Why? **Why**? Why didn't you pass, too? You've done so much…It's…not fair…" among the three of them, she **knew** Sora deserved to be a master more than she and Riku. At this time, Axel looked over and saw the sad look on Sora's face, as well as the fact that Kyrie was hugging him.

"_She found out, huh? Man Sora, way to put a damper on her party." _he thought with a sigh. He quickly walked over, grasping her shoulder and turning her attention to him. Then he turned to the others.

"Hey, everybody! Time to dance!" Axel called as he pulled her close to his side, shooting Sora and Riku a glare as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Everyone who was with their significant other came over immediately as Kairi and Olette started the radio, quickly gaining the girl's attention as Axel dragged her to where the group was gathered as she protested.

"Axel, I can't dance! Please, don't make me do this!" she protested, her face flushed pink. The red-headed pyro looked down at her sympathetically before leaning in close, so that his lips were at her ear.

"It's okay, don't worry. Let me lead, I'll do everything." he assured her. She stopped for a moment and pondered this, before nodding. With that, they joined the other couples as the dance began, the rest dancing as a group as they tried to make the dance more silly. Kairi and Sora, as well as Olette and Hayner, joined the dancing couples as they danced to a sweet song, some of the boys gagging at the sweetness of it.

"Jeez, a song for couples. Too girly and mushy, yuck!"

"Hayner, be nice! I think it's sweet…" Kyrie ignored this as Axel pulled her closer, keeping his promise as he slowly walked her through the steps. Once she got it, the two kept pace with the other couples, which was hard since Jack and Sally, as well as Belle and prince Adam, were the fastest because they were so experienced. But the girl smiled, leaning into Axel's embrace as they danced.

Axel stared down at his girlfriend as they moved, smiling at how happy and content she was. She looked up, feeling his gaze on her, and stared into his emerald irises intently. Then she smiled.

"Axel, thank you. You've made this day so wonderful, I can't tell you how happy I am. Kairi told me that it was you who thought up of all of this, and she told me you worked so hard to try and make it happen." she whispered softly. He nodded.

"Of course. I would've done anything just to make this day special. Sure, Sora being the idiot he was kinda ruined it a little, but I think I did okay." he explained. Her smile faltered for a second at the boy's name, but quickly returned as she looked up at him again.

"Axel…you did just fine. You worked so hard just to make me happy…and I love you for that." His smile softened, he would never get tired of hearing those words, and never get tired of the fluttery feelings in his chest he got every time she did. He leaned down, capturing her lips in a soft kiss before pulling away.

"I'm glad you're happy. Because when you're happy, I'm happy." he replied, smirking as she blushed a little, burying her face into his chest. Then the two went quiet as they continued to dance, letting the music sweep them away. The girls eyes softened as they moved, her head resting against his abdomen while their arms were around the other's waist.

"_Axel's done so much for me…I don't know how to thank him. Him, Sora, Kairi, Demyx, everyone's been so wonderful to me. I-" _a sudden, painful pulse cut her thoughts off as she stopped, stiffening in Axel's hold. The pyro stopped and looked down at her, confused as she stood there, her eyes wide.

"**Girl, it is time for you to serve your purpose. You shall be my key to Kingdom Hearts, you and your soul brother. The two of you will summon forth the X-blade, and I will achieve my goal at long last."** her head throbbed again, making her whimper at the pain.

"Huh, Kyrie? What's-" suddenly she cried out, clutching her hands to her temples as she sank to her knees. Everyone stopped dancing immediately and the music screeched to a halt at her cries, before they rushed over and surrounded her.

"Kyrie?"

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Gawrsh, you okay?"

"Kyrie, babe, what's wrong?" Axel exclaimed as he placed his hands on her shoulders. She shook her head as the painful pulses continued, like heartbeats. Blood began to fall from her right eye and down her cheek, making them gasp in alarm. She slowly opened that eye, her iris blood red as she stared at Axel blearily.

"What's…happening? Axel…I'm…so scared…" with that, she fell forward, Axel catching her as he held her in his arms. She was unconscious as he held her, and blood continued to seep out of her eye. He stared down at her in shock: what just happened?

"Kyrie…Kyrie! C'mon, babe, wake up!" he exclaimed as he held her, but she did not stir. A chuckle reverberated around them and they looked in front of them, to see four dark corridors as they appeared. Before anyone could move, four men stepped out, making them gasp.

"Xemnas?" Sora exclaimed as a familiar face appeared. The man narrowed his eyes as he spotted the keyblade wielder.

"Ah, Sora, it has been awhile." Riku looked at another of the men, paling as he recognized the face he once had when he used the darkness and when he and Sora took their Mark of Mastery exam. These were the men who had tried to use Sora as a vessel for Master Xehanort.

"Ansem!" Xemnas, Ansem, and two unknown males emerged from the darkness as they stood before the group, before the King gasped.

"Terra?" he exclaimed, looking at the man who seemed to be the leader of the group. The man looked at the king, before smirking.

"Ah, King Mickey, it has been awhile." he narrowed his eyes immediately, this wasn't Terra. He may look similar, but the white hair and amber eyes proved otherwise. Then he understood.

"Master Xehanort! What did you do to Terra?" Mickey exclaimed, pointing at him. The man's smirk grew as he stared at the mouse.

"Ah, you are very perceptive, much more so since I saw you last. Terra is gone, but his body is mine to possess, and soon-" he looked over at Kyrie, who lay unconscious in Axel's arms. "She will be mine as well." everyone summoned their weapons immediately, the fighters getting in front of Axel, Kyrie, and all of the women as they glared at the four.

"What do you want with Kyrie?" Sora exclaimed as he held his keyblade, ready to fight them off. He knew they were soon returning after his time in the sleeping worlds, but he didn't know they would come so soon, and that their target was Kyrie. Xemnas, Ansem, and Xehanort smirked at the boy before Xemnas spoke.

"The girl is needed for us to complete our goal, her lineage proves this. She, and one other, will help us open Kingdom Hearts and allow us to rule over all." he answered. Ansem nodded as he continued.

"Yes, for she understands and knows of the true power that lies deep within Kingdom Hearts, for her past self had guarded it with her life until she became mortal." he continued, crossing his arms in a cocky manner as he did so. The group blinked at them in confusion, before Riku growled.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, taking a step forward. Master Xehanort smirked as he looked over to the boy.

"She, my boy, is the reincarnated soul of the Princess of Light: a being who served and protected Kingdom Hearts until she became mortal and entered the cycle of rebirth." the King gasped, looking over to the unconscious girl before looking back at him.

"That can't be! How do you know?" he exclaimed. The man smirked as he pointed to her hair.

"Though the body holds few of her traits as she passes on to the new life, one physical detail still remains. Her snow-white hair; a trademark detail that shows the purity of both her heart and soul. Yes, and this girl also has strong power over the light, another trademark trait that only the Princess of Light can possess." he elaborated. Axel growled as he cradled her against his solid chest, there was no way these bastards were going to get her. No way.

"Just because she has white hair and controls light means nothing! How the hell do you know for sure that she's this so-called 'Princess of Light'?" he spat as he glared at the men. The youngest of the group rolled his eyes as he took a step forward.

"Damn are you lot annoying. Look, just hand the little princess over nicely, or we'll take her by force. And I won't guarantee that somebody won't get hurt if it comes to that, capiche?" the boy's appearance faltered for a moment, revealing another boy with black, spiky hair and yellow eyes. Everyone gasped.

"Sora?" everyone exclaimed as Sora stared on in shock, unable to take his eyes off his look-alike. But the King growled as he shook his head.

"Vanitas, what're YOU doing here? Didn't Ven destroy you?" he demanded. The boy smirked as he shook his head. "Nope. The poor little sap thought he did, though. But now poor little Ven's heart is floating around somewhere, because he couldn't survive with his darkness." he taunted. With that, he summoned a gear-like keyblade, Master Xehanort doing the same while Xemnas summoned his Ethereal Blades. Everyone else did the same as Axel ran over to Kairi, passing Kyrie to her as he did so.

"Kairi, get Kyrie out of here! Get her as far away as you can!" he ordered. The girl nodded as she slung Kyrie onto her back, making a mad dash for it with some of the women following right behind her. Vanitas growled as he tried to pursue them, only to jump out of the way as a chakram and a geyser blocked his path. He turned, meeting Axel as Demyx as they squared off against him.

"Hm, this should be fun."

-Meanwhile-

"Where can we go?" Belle asked as the women ran, Kyrie slumped unconscious on Kairi's back. The girl shook her head as they kept running.

"_Where __**can**__ we go? We can't go to other worlds without the Gummi ship, and the only other place we can go is the other island." _she thought as they ran. She glanced at Kyrie, who's cheek rested on her shoulder, and her eyes narrowed in determination. Her mind flashed back to the day the Radiant Garden was devoured by darkness twelve years ago, when Kyrie protected her from the invading heartless and allowed her to escape. She turned to the other girls.

"C'mon, we're going to the other island! We'll be safe there!" she ordered. The girls nodded as they followed after her, following her movements as she veered towards the beach, where the docks were.

"_Hang in there, Kyrie! This'll all be over soon, I promise." _she thought as she ran. But she looked back towards where the house was, her heart filling with worry and dread.

"_Please be safe…Sora…"_

-Back to Sora-

"Ah!" the boy cried as he was thrown against the house wall, slumping to the ground as he caught his breath. He glared up at Xemnas as he approached, his blades drawn as he prepared to cut the boy down. But Jack, Donald, Goofy, and Aladdin intervened immediately, forcing the ex-organization leader back as they got in front of the boy. The man glared levelly at them from where he stood, Sora getting to his feet as he glared at the man. As this was going on, Riku faced off against Ansem alongside Genie and the rest of the guys, while King Mickey took on Master Xehanort.

"Ha! Is that all you got, pyro?" Vanitas taunted as he and Axel squared off, Demyx and Xigbar backing the man up as they focused on the boy. Axel growled, throwing a chakram that just missed him by a hair.

"I'm not done yet, asshole!"

-Kairi-

"Huh? What's that?" Olette asked as she stopped, watching as a dark corridor opened a few feet ahead of them. The women stopped and got into defensive positions immediately as a cloaked figure stepped out, staring at them levelly through the shadow of their hood. Kairi glared at the figure, sliding Kyrie off her shoulders and onto the sand as she got in front of the girl. Olette and the others quickly ran forward, getting the girl out of the way as Kairi and the unknown man squared off.

"Who are you?" she demanded as she summoned her Destiny's Embrace keyblade. The man said nothing, glancing over to where the white-haired girl lay, before looking back to her.

"Masters Xehanort, Vanitas, Ansem, and Xemnas require her for their goal. I must not fail them." with that he unsheathed a large broadsword, before running at her. Kairi gasped and held up her blade, their weapons colliding but the man's brute strength threw Kairi back as she landed on the sand. She growled as she got back on her feet, before running at the man, their blades meeting once more.

"Guys, run! Get her out of here!" Kairi shouted to the others as she slashed the man against the chest, but he won again and threw her back, this time kicking her in the stomach and making her cry out in pain as she slumped to the floor, her arm wrapped around her belly. Jasmine and Belle gasped as the man began approaching them, his blade glistening from the rays of the coming sunset as he walked towards them.

"Ah, run-" but before they could run, he quickly threw them all aside, grabbing Kyrie by her waist and holding her so that she was at his side with her arms and legs dangling under her as he held her there.

"The masters will be pleased at this. Farewell." with that, he turned, opening a corridor as he did so. Once he disappeared, the other women regained their breath and ran to Kairi's aid, helping the girl up as she wheezed and coughed.

"C'mon," she panted. "We have to tell the guys!"

-Back to the guys-

"Damn." Axel growled. The fights were getting more and more intense, and the rest of the group was wearing down, fast. Only he, Demyx, Sora, Riku, Xigbar, and the King were able to stay on their feet as they faced off against their enemies. Master Xehanort, Vanitas, Ansem, and Xemnas smirked at them mockingly, making them all the more angry as they glared at them.

"Ready to give up yet?" Vanitas asked as he slung his keyblade on his shoulder. Demyx shook his head as he got his sitar ready.

"Like hell we are!" he exclaimed. But out of nowhere a dark corridor appeared, a man stepping out and at his side was-

"Kyrie!" Axel exclaimed, watching with wide eyes as the man carried her to where the group of villains were standing, readjusting his hold on her so that he was carrying her bridal-styled. Master Xehanort smirked as he walked over, brushing her bangs out of her face as he stared at them. At this time, Kairi and the women appeared on the scene, Olette and Belle supporting Kairi as she held an arm over her abdomen.

"Guys, Kyrie's-" she stopped when she spotted Master Xehanort standing next to the unconscious girl, smirking at them like everything had all been a part of his plan.

"It seems that we are done here, we have what we desire. Let us be on our way."

"Xehanort!" the King exclaimed as they each opened a corridor and walked through, leaving Vanitas, Xehanort, and the unknown man as they summoned a single corridor and began walking through.

"Kyrie!" everyone exclaimed, but only Sora and Riku tried to go after her, with the King stopping them. Axel watched with wide eyes as they began to walk through, before his feet began to move.

"Let her go, you bastards! Kyrie!" he roared as he ran at them, his hand outstretched. But the last thing he saw was Vanitas turning and smirking at him, the boy placing a hand on her head as he did so.

"Too late, hotrod." and with that, the corridor disappeared. Axel stopped when he got to where they had been standing only moment's before, and then he slumped to his knees, slamming his fists into the ground.

"Damn it! Damn it! **Damn it**!" he cursed as he punched the ground. Everyone watched this go on for a few moments before the King turned to Sora, Riku, Demyx, and Xigbar.

"Guys, take everyone home." Sora blinked at the King in confusion before protesting.

"But your Majesty, what about-"

"We'll talk about it later. Just get everyone home." he stated. The boy nodded sadly before looking to where Axel was slumped over. "But…"

"Just leave him, Sora." Riku murmured as he followed the boy's gaze. "He needs some time alone. We'll talk with him later." he nodded as they gathered everyone to take home, leaving Axel as he sat on the ground, staring at his hands. He remained like this for a short while, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Wayfinder Kyrie had given him a few days prior. He stared at it for a moment, before clenching his eyes tightly and punching his free hand into the ground again.

"_Kyrie…!"_

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><p><strong>Oh noes! She's been kidnapped by that Asshole Xehanort!<strong>

**Master Xehanort: ...**

**Vanitas: Wow babe, that was harsh. Oh well, doesn't concern me any.**

**Ansem (heartless): Of course it wouldn't, you lack any respect or care for anyone but yourself.**

**Vanitas: Got me there, heartless.**

**Xemnas: *rolls eyes* Just review. These two annoy me enough as it is.**

**Me: ...Until next time, folks! XD**


	6. Master Yen Sid's Advice

**Okay, sorry for not updating as fast as I used to, but a lot of things have been going on. But don't worry, almost all of that is out of the way now, so I'm making a goal to update every 2-4 days. Especially since it's summer vacation! (yes, I am in college so it is sorta summer vacation. At least until fall.) And does anyone notice the crap going on in Doc manager? It's harder to seperate paragraphs and stuff now!**

**Ocs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

* * *

><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 6

"…_Where…am I…?" _Kyrie thought as she slowly regained consciousness. Everything around her was blurry, but she could make out the colors that surrounded her. All she could see was different shades of purple, narrow slits of grey, and stark white beyond the slits of grey. As her vision cleared, she sat up, realizing exactly where she was.

"Huh? I'm…in the soundless prison? Wait, how did I-" she stopped short, remembering the events of before she passed out. The last thing she remembered was the dark, yet strangely familiar voice and Axel calling out her name…

She growled, getting to her feet and walking towards the bars, prepared to make an escape. But when she reached out to touch the bars, they set off a static shock, making her gasp in pain as she retracted her hand. A dark aura wrapped itself around her fingers and the bars, before her light extinguished the aura on her fingers.

"It is pointless to try and escape. I made sure that this cell was modified to keep you imprisoned, using the element that negates all light; darkness." she looked up, watching as a man dressed in a skintight black, high collared shirt and tan hakama that was held up by a black belt walked towards her cell. He also had silver vertically spiky hair, and greatly resembled Xehanort.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" she demanded, glaring at him as he stopped in front of her cell. He did not answer her, but merely smirked as if he were eyeing a test subject. Then she looked down at herself, realizing that she was in a white satin dress that reached to her ankles, similar in appearance to Namine's, but went wide after the waist. But it still was the type of fabric that wouldn't protect her at all against any harsh elements like the freezing cold.

"My name is Master Xehanort, we had encountered once before. Whether or not you remember matters not, for all that matters now is that you are here and that you are going to help us achieve ultimate power." the man's appearance changed, making her gasp. This new appearance had no hair atop his head, but a silver goatee and darker skin. This was the same man who had appeared in one of her first dreams over two years ago. He smirked.

"Ah, you do remember me. That is good." but she growled at this. She didn't really remember him, she only remembered the dream. But that did nothing to stop the anger welling inside her.

"You're the bastard who wounded my right eye!" she exclaimed. He nodded, before the sounds of multiple footsteps reached their ears.

"Ah, she is awake."

"Tch, 'bout time! I was just about to be bored to death."

"Silence, Vanitas. Show more respect." she watched as three men approached her cell from behind Master Xehanort, and gasped. These were the men that appeared in her dream, as well as Xemnas!

"Xemnas? But I thought you- didn't Sora and Riku destroy you?" she demanded, resisting the urge to try and go after him. The man smirked as all three stopped in front of her cell.

"Ah, you haven't changed at all it seems, but I may as well answer. In a sense, they **had** destroyed me. But because of our incarnation, Master Xehanort, we were able to acquire bodies of our own. But we are merely vessels for pieces of his heart, nothing more." he explained. She was silent, before turning her attention to their leader.

"Okay, so what do you want with me? I don't have anything of value." she growled as she glared at them. This time Xehanort's heartless, "Ansem", spoke.

"Because you are the Princess of Light, of course. You see, only the Princess of Light and the Prince of Darkness together can summon Kingdom Hearts without the use of the X-blade. Twelve years ago, Master Xehanort attempted to create the X-blade for this purpose, but it ended in failure. Then, he met you." she blinked in confusion as he continued.

"He knew you were different, not just because of a strangely pure heart that did not belong with the seven of legend. So he decided to do research, and before long he finally discovered what you truly were." he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a handful of pages, all old and torn. She gasped, recognizing them.

"Those are the missing pages from my book! The one Merlin gave me!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide as she stared at them. Master Xehanort nodded.

"Yes, and these pages told us of another way to open Kingdom Hearts. We need the two beings together to force it open, and now, we're one step closer to our goal. At first, I was going to make incarnations that would fight the keyblade wielders as a repeat for what happened twelve years ago. Until I discovered that you had returned from your state of limbo, then I decided to change my plans and use you and your soul brother instead." she growled as she shook her head. She had no idea what happened twelve years ago, or what the "limbo" part meant. But she knew exactly what they were going to do with her.

"There's no way in hell that I'll ever help you! I'd rather be turned into a heartless and destroyed!" she spat. The youngest of the group chuckled.

"Don't worry about that, princess. You're gonna help us, even if we have to break every bone in that little body of yours." and with that, they departed, leaving her alone in the Soundless Prison. She watched them depart before sighing in defeat, walking back and sitting against the wall as she wrapped her arms around her knees.

Now she was beginning to understand what they had meant about the prison, it itself was enveloped in darkness that was slowly draining her strength. It was like she had been placed in a dark corridor with no means of escape. Sooner or later, she would be susceptible to their wills.

"_What am I going to do? As long as I'm trapped, they'll have the upper hand. I need to get out of here." _she rested her head against her knees, her thoughts on her friends and those who were now in danger. Axel's face flashed to her mind in that instant, the last expression she saw before she went unconscious. He looked scared, lost, and at a loss as what to do. She hated that expression, because it wasn't Axel.

"_I'll find a way out of here. I have to. I have to see him…even if it means it'll be the last time." _

-Meanwhile, Gummi Ship-

Axel was silent as he sat in the Gummi ship, with Sora, Riku, Kairi, Demyx, Donald, Goofy, and the King either sitting with him or wandering around the ship, trying to find something to occupy their time. After Kyrie was taken, the group had managed to convince him to come with them to seek Yen Sid's council and see what the old master had to say. Xigbar decided to stay behind, because he was no hero.

"_Sorry dudes, but I'm not cut out for this whole savin' the world type deal. But if Angel somehow manages to find her way back here, I'll be here to make sure she's okay." _were his worlds before they departed. Axel and Demyx agreed to this, because someone needed to be there in case she somehow managed to escape from Master Xehanort's clutches. But what were the chances of that? Zero to none.

"_Kyrie…" _he thought as he looked down at his hand, where the Wayfinder rested. He thumbed the token in the middle, smirking a little at the embarrassed and shy expression on her face when she gave it to him. But his smirk faded as his mind flashed back to when they took her, the smug-faced little bastard's hand on her head as the darkness swirled around them: it set his body on fire with rage.

"Hey, we're here!" Sora called back to them from his position behind the wheel. Everyone was at the screen immediately, staring at the Mysterious Tower as Sora began landing the ship. As soon as it touched the ground, Axel released the hatch and jumped out, landing on his feet as he began for the door. But a hand on his shoulder stopped him, and he turned to Demyx as the younger man stared at him in concern.

"Axel, hold on. You need to calm down, just barging in there and demanding answers isn't going to help her. You need to stay calm." he murmured so the others wouldn't hear. Axel opened his mouth to rebuke him, but stopped and instead clenched his fists. He was right.

"_He's right. Getting angry isn't going to help her. The only thing it's good for is getting people in trouble." _he thought as he contemplated the man's words. After a moment, he sighed.

"I know, Dem. But I can't help it, the one person I care about is in trouble and I have no clue where she is or if she's okay- …Look, I know you can't feel anything, but I can now. My chest… it's all in shambles and I sorta know why-"

"It's okay Ax, I know. You really care about her, and I understand. But she's strong, she won't give up so easily." but Axel looked down, a dark look gracing his features.

"That's what worries me, Demyx. She could get hurt, bad, because she's so stubborn. They could even…kill-" but he stopped the second Sora and the others caught up, choosing to let the discussion drop for now. With that they continued into the tower, hoping to find answers to the questions they sought.

-Yen Sid's Study-

"Ah, I see. Then my fears have become reality." the old sorcerer spoke as the group finished explaining what had happened. King Mickey blinked at him before cocking his head to the side, confused.

"You mean…Master Xehanort was after her all along?" he asked. Axel growled as he walked forward, slamming his hands on the desk.

"So why didn't you tell us? We could've stopped this! Because of you, now Kyrie's-" before he could continue, Demyx reached out and quickly held the man back. "Ax…"

"I only suspected that he would come after her. You see, Xehanort left many paths open when he disappeared twelve years ago. I suspected that she and one other were the keys to one of these paths that he may take, but I couldn't say for sure. I made Kyrie a master hoping that this would be enough to deter him. But it was for naught." the old master explained as he folded his hands together on his desk while he stared at the group. Then he turned to Axel.

"I understand your anger, and for that I apologize. But as I said before, I was not aware of his true intentions and tried my best in precaution." Sora looked back and forth between the two, before stepping forward.

"But Master Yen Sid, why did Master Xehanort kidnap her? And what did you mean by 'she and one other'?" he asked, holding his hands behind his head. The old master began stroking his chin as he gazed at Sora.

"You see, there is an old legend on how the worlds and the universe itself came to existence; so old that very few remember even half of this old tale. Three beings were responsible for this creation, one of them being Kingdom Hearts. The other two, the Princess of Light and the Prince of Darkness, were its guardians and were what controlled the light and darkness, keeping it in balance. They can also summon Kingdom Hearts at will together without the use of the X-blade, which is why he has taken her." he explained. The group nodded, they remembered the story about the X-blade, and how Xehanort wanted to create it twelve years ago. They were silent before the King gasped.

"That's right! Xehanort, Xemnas, Vanitas, and Ansem all said that she was the reincarnation of the Princess of Light!" he exclaimed. Goofy placed a hand to his chin as he thought for a moment.

"But who is this 'Prince of Darkness' feller? Do they have him, too?" he asked. Yen Sid shook his head. "No, I doubt this. If he was captured as well, we wouldn't be here right now. Now, this is what I request of you, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Axel, and Demyx-" the individuals in question straightened as he turned to them.

"There is a girl who might have a connection between Kyrie and her opposite, and I want you to find her. Xehanort may come after her as well if he isn't doing so already, so once you find her I request that you remain with her. At the same time, I want you to seal the world's keyholes once more so that the souls of the worlds are safe like the heart." they blinked at this.

"The…souls?" Donald questioned. He nodded.

"Yes, for you see, a heart and soul are what make a person exist. One cannot truly exist if they don't have both, as with the Nobodies. They are comprised of the body and soul but lack a heart, while the heartless have the heart but no true body or soul."

"The soul and the heart are what make up an existence. Like darkness and light, they are a balance in the life of a person. This principle is the same for the existence of a whole world, which has both a heart and soul." he explained. They were silent for a moment before Kairi spoke up.

"So they have to go on another quest to find this girl and seal the keyholes so that the world's souls are safe?" she asked. He nodded, making her sigh. "I see."

"But you, Kairi, may be in danger as well. The princesses of heart and the princess of light have a deep connection, and I fear he might come after you for the purpose of using Kyrie to her full potential. So I want you to go to Disney castle where darkness cannot enter and continue to train with the keyblade, for you will participate in this upcoming battle as well." he added. This made the girl blink in confusion.

"Huh? How are Kyrie and I connected?" she asked. The others nodded, also confused. The old master was silent for a few moments, before sighing.

"The princesses of heart were once said to be peacemakers sent by the princess of light to be both her eyes and to bring peace to the worlds they inhabited. There may be an even deeper connected, but the legends are vague and do not give much detail on this. Now, about this girl…"

"We have to stay with her, right? But how can we find her?" Sora asked as he leaned forward. Yen Sid held up a hand, silencing him, before continuing.

"She has another purpose as well, for she has an unique ability that only a group of certain individuals possess. She has the ability to see past memories in a place, as well as predict future memories or events that are about to take place within that environment. This 'Place Memory' ability can help us find one of the three people who can help us put an end to Xehanort. Permanently." he explained. The King perked up at this.

"So she can help us find Ven's body?" he asked. Yen Sid nodded, making most of the group look back and forth between them.

"Wait, who's- oh. Right, you said something about Ventus, Terra, and Aqua the last time we came here." Sora said as Riku nodded, the boy staring at him expectantly.

"Yeah, they were the keyblade wielders involved with Xehanort twelve years ago. Aren't we supposed to help them, too?" he questioned. The King and Yen Sid inclined their heads at this.

"Yes, you are. To help Terra regain his body from Xehanort's control, we need Kyrie's power over the light which can make the light within him stronger than his darkness. With Aqua we need the Prince of Darkness, who can assist us with finding her exact location in the realm of darkness and allow her to escape. And with Ventus, we need both Sora and this girl, who can find the place where he has been hidden with her ability. These aspects are the only ways to help them." he explained. They nodded as Riku crossed his arms, staring at the sorcerer.

"And what about me? I'm not going to just wait around and hope that everything turns out okay just because I'm the only other keyblade master aside from his Majesty." he stated. The old sorcerer gave a small smirk and nodded.

"Yes, yes. I know and I have a special quest for you, Master Riku. You are to help King Mickey track down the Prince of Darkness and protect him, for he can be easily tracked by Xehanort and his companions." he ordered. Riku and the King nodded, before the old sorcerer turned his attention to Axel.

"I understand your rush to help her, but you must be patient. Master Xehanort is no fool, he knows that if she isn't in the best condition that he cannot accomplish his goal. For the moment, she is safe from physical harm." the pyro relaxed slightly at this, but it didn't ease his fears. With that, he turned his attention to the rest of the group.

"Now go forth, everyone. As long as he still has her, Kyrie may very well succumb to his darkness. So we must do everything we can to see that this does not happen, and to ensure that we have all the allies we need to come together and to finish him off once and for all." everyone straightened at this.

"Yes, sir!"

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><p><strong>Next chapter's gonna be a bit of a shocker to all (because it has things based off of KH 3D) so I hope you guys are excited! XD<strong>

**So please, tell me what you think so far! Do you have any suspicions? Guesses? Advice? Anything to say? So then review!**


	7. Radiant Garden Confusion

**See? I kept up my promise, updated 3 days after the last chapter. Though there weren't many reviews...^^;**

**I actually realized something. On each part, I both lose a few readers and gain a few readers. Hopefully on this part I didn't lose any... oh well. So enjoy this chapter, and you'll be surprised on who shows up!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 7

"Okay, so Master Yen Sid said we should try the Radiant Garden first, right? How long 'til we get there?" Sora asked as he sat in his chair, staring at Donald as he did so. After bidding the old sorcerer, Riku, Kairi, and the King farewell, the group started for the first world he had suggested, Radiant Garden. Donald looked over the coordinates before turning to them.

"About an hour or less. You can't rush these things, Sora!" he answered. The boy nodded in understanding as he reclined his chair, holding his hands behind his head.

"I know, but we need to find this girl and quick! And while we're there, we can even ask if Le-" Goofy quickly clamped his hand around the boy's mouth, cutting him off.

"Gawrsh, Sora, that's a secret!" he exclaimed. The three looked over at Axel and Demyx, who were blinking at them in confusion, before looking back at each other. They quickly huddled together, much to the bewilderment of the two men.

"Wait, why can't we tell Axel about Lea?" Sora whispered to Goofy and Donald, making sure that the two men were out of earshot. Donald growled.

"Because havin' a Nobody and Somebody of the same person in the same place could spell disaster! Yen Sid said so himself!" he whispered harshly. Goofy nodded in agreement as Sora sighed. Yes, Axel was the previous nobody of Lea, but now he was his own being. What harm could the two meeting cause, he hadn't a clue.

"But he's going to find out eventually…right?"

-An Hour Later, Radiant Garden-

The group was strangely quiet as they walked through the Marketplace, taking note that the world looked much better than it had the last time they had came here over a year ago.

"Wow, even flowers are starting to grow here." Sora commented as they looked around, noticing the flowers that had begun to sprout around the place. Axel was silent as he looked around as well, a part of him always felt nostalgia whenever he came here back when he was a Nobody, but he couldn't remember why now.

"Sora? Is that you?" the group stopped and turned to see a familiar short-haired girl dressed in ninja garb as she blinked at them. After a moment, she grinned.

"It **is** you! Donald and Goofy too! And uh…" she turned her attention to Axel and Demyx, who were staring at her apprehensively. "Um…Lia? Demi?" the two blinked at her in confusion before Sora shook his head.

"Yuffie, that's **Axel** and **Demyx**!" he corrected, laughing as he did so. Demyx smiled as he waved at the girl, trying to be as friendly as possible.

"Hiya!" The girl blanked for a moment, her eyes on Axel, before nodding.

"Oh yeah… but wait, he looks just like Le-"

"Yuffie, who's this?" a feminine voice asked, cutting her off. The group turned their attention to a woman as she and man approached the young ninja from behind, carrying a basket full of items as she did so. The woman had dark hair that reached her shoulders streaked with caramel highlights, and was dressed in a light blue jacket and skirt with high boots. Tuffs of fake fur decorated the collar of the jacket and a pair of white angel wings were embroidered on the back.

The man was dressed in a ragged red coat, a red band wrapped around his head and nothing but black underneath the coat. His long black hair fringed out from the band, shaggy as it hung in his face and fell down his back. He had a cold expression on his face and his golden gauntlet hand clenched slightly as he looked the group over. Yuffie smiled as she looked back and forth before grasping the other girl's hand, proceeding to drag her closer to the group.

"Rinoa, Vincent, this is the boy that Leon told you about! You know, the one who wields the keyblade?" she explained. The girl raised her eyebrows as she turned her attention to Sora.

"You're the boy? Wow, Squall was right. You **do** have a goofy face!" she exclaimed. The boy deadpanned at this while Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel chuckled at the expression on his face.

"That's him to a 'T'." Axel added, making the group laugh even harder. Sora pouted slightly before looking at the unknown woman and man.

"So, you guys know Leon?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. The two nodded as the man spoke up.

"I'm an old friend of Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie's. Name's Vincent Valentine." he explained, his voice and expression nonchalant. The girl smiled as she took a step forward, holding her hand out for them to shake.

"My name is Rinoa Heartilly, Squall and I go way back. I was traveling around the worlds after what happened to this one a couple years back, looking for him. Once I found him, I joined the 'Radiant Garden Restoration Committee'. That was a few months ago." she added as she introduced herself. Sora smiled as he shook her hand, before Yuffie jumped in between them and looked behind them, expecting to see a familiar face.

"Hey, someone's missing…where's Kyrie? She not with you?" she asked as she looked behind the group, expecting to see a short, white-haired girl. Sora hesitated for a moment, before looking away.

"That's kinda why we're here. You see…" with that, he began his explanation of what had happened back on the islands and what Master Yen Sid had explained to them. The girl stared at them wide-eyed as he finished, not believing what she was hearing.

"What?! She's been kidnapped?" Yuffie exclaimed in shock. The group nodded solemnly, their eyes darting to Axel before looking away. Said pyro was looking everywhere but them as he tried to keep his attention elsewhere. Rinoa and Vincent looked back and forth between the two, confused.

"Who's this Kyrie person? Is she a friend, too?" she asked. Yuffie nodded as she turned to them. "Yeah, and this is serious! C'mon, let's head back to Merlin's, he could probably help." with that she ran ahead, leaving the group in her dust like always. Rinoa sighed in irritation as they watched the girl go.

"Yuffie, wait! Don't go so fast!"

-Merlin's-

"Well whaddya know? Leon, the kid's back!" Cid called as Sora and the gang walked into the door. The place still looked the same as it did last year, a mess. But it was Merlin's house and the base of operations for the committee after all. Aeirth and Merlin looked up from where they were seated at the table, enjoying their tea, and smiled as they walked in. A dog looked at them from where he was seated by Aerith and barked loudly as he ran to Rinoa, who opened her arms and wrapped them around the dog's neck. "Hi, Angelo. Were you a good boy while I was gone?"

"Welcome back, we missed you." Aerith greeted as she took sip from her tea. Leon looked up from where he was checking some books, a small smirk on his lips as he turned to approach them.

"Hey Sora, Donald, Goofy. Rinoa, did you get what we needed?" he greeted before turning his attention to the girl. She nodded as she walked forward, placing the basket in his hands as the dog trailed behind her.

"Yep, everything's there, Squall. Were **you** good while I was gone?" she giggled as she pecked him on the lips. The man nodded, a small smile on his lips as she pulled away. The group watched the exchange with wide eyes, unable to process what had just occurred. Leon. Had. Kissed. A. Girl. And. Smiled. While. Doing. So.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaat? You guys are going out?" Sora and Demyx exclaimed at the same time, pointing at the two dramatically as they did so. Axel rolled his eyes at this as he crossed his arms, typical Sora and Demyx. Leon and Rinoa blinked at them before blushing, looking away from each other. Aerith giggled softly at this before turning her attention to the group.

"So, what brings you here? Are you on another journey?" she asked, curious. The group snapped into attention as Sora nodded grimly.

"Yeah…you see-"

"Kyrie was kidnapped by this wicked keyblade master guy and he's planning to use her to open Kingdom Hearts! So now Sora's gotta find this girl with a weird ability so they can stop him and get Kyrie back!" Yuffie blurted without thinking. She quickly slapped her hands over her mouth, but the damage had already been done. Cid, Aerith, and Merlin were on their feet immediately as Leon narrowed his eyes at her.

"She's been kidnapped? How?" he demanded. Before Sora could answer, the door behind them opened, and in walked a man with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes.

"Cid, Ienzo's wondering if he could borrow-" the man stopped in his tracks as he spotted the group. "Wait, Sora's here? What's up!" the group was silent as they stared, Axel being the most shocked as he stared at…himself? The man seemed to share the same amount of shock as he stared at Axel, the only difference between the two was their clothes and Axel's signature teardrop markings. Surprisingly, he was dressed in an organization cloak like Axel had been.

"Wait, who's this guy and why does he look like me?" the unknown man asked as he pointed at Axel. Said pyro raised an eyebrow in response and pointed as well.

"Wait, who're **you** and why do **you **look like me?"

"My name's Lea, got it memorized? L-E-A."

"Well **Lea**, my name's Axel, got that memorized? A-X-E-L."

"Hey, first my looks and now my catchphrase? What are you, some type of copycat?"

"Hey, I've been using this catchphrase since I could remember! Maybe **you're** the copycat!" the group looked back and forth as the two got into a heated argument, not really sure just what was going on. Angelo barked as the two men argued, adding to the noise as some of the group covered their ears.

"Uh…any idea what's going on?" Demyx asked as he looked at Sora, his voice somewhat drowned out due to the noise. The keyblade bearer chuckled in embarrassment as he scratched the back of his head. This was one of the things Yen Sid had warned him about, and he was right at their reactions to each other.

"Well, you see, Lea was Axel's-" before he could finish, a massive earthquake shook the house, causing books to fall from shelves and glasses to fall from cabinets and tables. Everyone looked around in surprise, before the boys narrowed their eyes on the door that led outside. Rinoa knelt down and held Angelo back as he began to growl at the door, sensing trouble was just on the other side of it.

"That came from outside! C'mon!" Leon exclaimed as he grabbed his gun blade and ran out the door, followed by Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, Vincent, Lea, and Axel. Once the group got outside, dozens of Shadows appeared, as well as new creatures that resembled Shadows, but more angular and blue in color. A few Soldiers appeared as well, but the group was focused on the new foe, unable to identify it.

"What are these things?" Sora exclaimed as he pointed at the creatures. Leon and the others shook their heads, they have never seen these new foes before.

"I don't know, but whatever they are…" he quickly brandished his gun blade. "They're not welcomed here!" he finished. Everyone nodded in agreement as they summoned their weapons, Axel summoning his chakrams and Lea summoning a strange keyblade that had a chakram as the guard. Axel noticed this, but turned his attention to the heartless and new enemies as he got into position.

"_Once we're done with these guys, I got some questions for this Lea. Why does he look like me, and why does he wield a keyblade?" _he thought to himself. Something inside him told him that this man had some importance to him, but he didn't know why. It was like a voice was calling to him from some other life, telling him to remember. But…remember what?

"All right guys, let's take out these punks!" Lea and Axel called in unison, the two blinking at each other in confusion. Demyx sighed and shook his head as the two glared at each other.

"This fight's gonna be a long one with these two…" he sighed. With that, the fight began, a flurry of keystrokes, magic, fire, water, and sword strokes taking out the heartless with ease. But the new foe was much tougher than the heartless, for they dodged their attacks with ease and moved in a manner similar to the Nobodies. Axel and Demyx, knowing how the Nobodies fought, were able to take out a few as well as Sora, but the boy was having a rougher time dealing with the new foe. He growled as he jumped back, just barely missing one as it tried to run him through.

"What are they?"

"They're called Unversed! They're born from the negativity of one being who was born from the darkness taken from a boy's heart, that's what they are." the group looked around, trying to find the source of the voice, before Lea turned and gasped.

"Kyrie?"

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><p><strong>Yes. I did it. I added Rinoa and Vincent into the story, as well as had Lea appear too! *gets bricked for causing a mind f*ck* Now before you all start badgering me on how Lea meeting Axel makes no sense, wait for the next chapter. It's going to explain a lot on the whole deal, as well as reveal who a certain someone really is.<strong>

**So until the next update, please review!**


	8. Encounter with Darkness itself

**Okay, sorry for the confusion that last chapter caused. So in this chapter, hopefully all of your questions are answered about the last one, and I hope you look forward to the next one.**

**Enjoy!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts characters (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 8

"Kyrie?" Lea gasped as he stared at the owner of the voice. Everyone stiffened at this, did he mean-?

"What?" everyone exclaimed as they turned, spotting a small child with white hair and brown eyes as she stood on the other side of the creatures, her eyes focused on them as she held a star plush in her arms. The "Unversed" turned at her voice and focused solely on her as they slunk along the ground, heading straight for her. The girl backed up, wariness clear on her features as she stared at them, but she didn't run. Sora gasped.

"Hey, run!" he exclaimed, but she still didn't move. He quickly ran in, followed by Donald, Goofy, Demyx, Axel, and Lea as they got between the child and the Unversed. The girl turned her attention to them before speaking.

"Remember, you fought them a long time ago, when you were someone else. The other heart inside you knows what they are, the heart **you** saved knows how to defeat them. Remember Sora, remember." she continued, staring at the boy as he turned his attention to her.

"Huh? What do you mean the other heart inside of me?" he paused for a moment, remembering the other existence that lay dormant inside of him. "Do you mean Roxas?" the child shook her head.

"No. Roxas looks similar, but this person is someone different. Try to remember." he was silent before nodding and the fight commenced. This time, they were finally able to land good blows on the new opponents thanks to the child's distraction. Demyx ducked as one came for his head and used his water clones to throw it back, with Goofy using his shield to cut it in half as it disappeared. Lea and Axel tag-teamed, both using their fire to burn the enemies, turning them into ash.

Soon, all of the Unversed were gone, a collective sigh of relief echoing through the group at this. Axel panted as stood there, before turning his attention to Lea, one question on his mind.

"Why…did you call her…Kyrie?" he panted as he stared at the man. Lea looked right back at him, equally beat as he panted heavily.

"That's…her name. She's the…granddaughter of Ansem the…Wise." he stated, meeting his doppelganger's gaze. Demyx turned to see if the girl was okay, only to find her gone. "Hey, where's the kid?" everyone turned around immediately, realizing that the child had disappeared.

"She disappeared!" Donald exclaimed. But a sudden giggling caught their attention as they turned, spotting the child as she ran towards the Bailey. Axel growled as he dispelled his chakrams, he didn't know who this kid was, but something told him that she had some connection to them.

"Follow her! There might be more heartless around, or those Unversed!" he ordered. With that everyone ran, trying to catch up with the strange child before anything could happen to her. But once they got to the Bailey, they realized that the girl had vanished.

"Huh? Where'd she go?" Goofy asked as he scratched his head, confused. Lea was silent before chuckling softly, shaking his head as he did so.

"Heh. Must've been a ghost. Besides, she wouldn't look like that now, not after twelve years." he answered, shaking his head as he did so. Sora turned to him and shook his head.

"No, she can't be! Kyrie was taken yesterday, there's no way she could be-"

"That's because she's not. What you saw was an apparition created by your memories of her. It was a part of herself that flowed through the connection in a time of need, it was her will." they quickly turned, spotting a man cloaked in a ragged black cloak, his bandaged arms crossed as he stared out into the distance. Sora growled as he summoned his keyblade, suspicious of the man.

"Who are you? Do you work for Xehanort?" he demanded, staring at the unknown man. Everyone summoned their weapons as well, not taking their eyes off the unknown entity. But Axel stood there for a moment, he recognized this man.

"You…you're the guy I saw hanging around in Twilight town yesterday!" he accused. The man was silent for a few moments, before turning his attention to Sora and shaking his head.

"No, that man and I are mortal enemies. He has taken someone very important to me, and I'm willing to cut him down and send him into the very pits of hell in order to bring her home safely." he spoke, answering Sora's question and completely ignoring Axel. Then he looked at Axel and Lea.

"Ah, I see that she was able to keep you two in existence. She's begun tapping into the power that lays dormant inside of her." the two blinked at him in confusion, what was he talking about?

"Wait, who was able to keep us in existence?" Lea asked, baffled by the man's words. The man was silent before looking out into the distance.

"The girl, young Kyrie. The one who carries the soul of my sister, the soul of the light." he answered nonchalantly. Axel quickly stepped forward, resisting the urge to grab the man by his tattered cloak and beat the living hell out of him until he told him where Kyrie was.

"You know Kyrie? Where is she? Where did that bastard Xehanort take her?" he demanded, fire starting to ignite around his weapons as his rage began to increase. But the man shook his head, heaving a light sigh as he did so.

"I know naught for where she is, as I am searching for her myself. But I will explain this: the reason why you Lea, previous Somebody of Axel and you Axel, previous Nobody of Lea, were able to exist together when that is nigh impossible for the common Nobody and Somebody." the two men stared at him, before staring at each other.

"Wait, he's my Nobody?"

"Wait, he's my Somebody?" the two asked in unison. Sora, Donald, and Goofy nodded before the man continued.

"Yes, each of you holds bits of the other when before, Axel held the body of Lea while a heartless held the heart of Lea. Under normal circumstances, if Axel were to have faded when he did, Lea would have came back into existence with Axel laying dormant inside of him. But because my sister, the girl, interfered…now you both exist as two separate beings, with only one tie to each other. Lea, surely you sense this." Lea was silent for a moment, before crossing his arms.

"You mean the weird dreams? The ones about this kid named Roxas and the girl with white hair? That was the whole reason why I went to Master Yen Sid and saved Sora back at Where Nothing Gathers." he asked, scratching the back of his head as he said this. The man nodded.

"Yes, for they are Axel's memories that have been shared with you. You see, when my sister gave Axel a heart and body of his own, she needed to create a body for you as well for you would no longer exist otherwise. To keep things in balance, she decided to give Lea a piece of Axel and take a piece of Lea away from Axel." he continued. Axel also crossed his arms, glaring at the man as he did so.

"So my memories of-"

"Yes, your past memories from when you were Lea had to be removed from deep inside of you. In return, Lea was given vague memories from your time in the organization, as well as the time you spent together with Roxas and my sister." he stated. The two men nodded before Sora took a step forward, staring at the man curiously.

"Wait, how do you know about all of this? Who are you?" he questioned. The man was silent for a moment, before sighing.

"She is my soul sister, and I am her soul brother. We were once guardians of the doors to light and darkness, it was through her power that she made the keyblade of light, and through my power the keyblade of darkness." he answered, his words cryptic. Sora stared blankly at him, now thoroughly confused by his words.

"Meaning…?"

"I am the one your King and friend are searching for." the man sighed, aggravated by the boy's naiveté. Everyone was silent for a few minutes before Goofy slammed his fist into his palm.

"I got it! You're the Prince of Darkness, ain't ya?" he exclaimed. The man face-palmed before nodding. "Yes. That I am."

"So if you know that the King and Riku are searchin' for ya, why don't you go and find them?" Donald questioned, tapping his foot as he crossed his arms. The prince was quiet for a moment, before shaking his head.

"I will not relinquish my freedom just yet, not until young Kyrie, my soul sister, is safe from harm. When I find her I will then relinquish myself to your King and Riku. But for the moment, I will revel in my freedom and use this time to search for her." he stated, turning his back to them. Leon nodded in understanding as he stepped forward, brandishing his gun blade.

"Are you done? Because I don't want the likes of you lingering here long. We have enough heartless problems as it is, especially with these Unversed showing up and causing more problems." he spoke coldly, brandishing his gunblade. The prince chuckled softly and nodded.

"Yes, I am almost finished. I meant no harm, for I wanted to inform you all what I needed to, nothing else. But there is one more thing-" he turned and took a few steps forward before placing a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"The girl you were asked to find, she is a lone traveler whose name means 'beautiful feather'. Your new friend, Rinoa, may know of her and can tell you where to find her. Now, if you'll excuse me." and with that, he walked away and disappeared into a cloud of darkness, which evaporated into thin air. The group stood there for a few moments, staring at the place where he had been, before Sora turned to Leon.

"Why would Rinoa know anything?" he asked. Leon shrugged his shoulders, wanting to know the same thing.

"I don't know. She did have to travel around for years until the world was restored, so maybe she ran into this girl by chance." he answered. Sora nodded before Demyx pointed in the direction of Merlin's house.

"Well then let's go! We need to find this girl ASAP!"

-Merlin's House-

"Rinoa, you still here?" Leon called as he and the rest of the group walked into the house. Rinoa looked up from where she, Aerith, and Yuffie were sitting at the table before getting up to meet him. Angelo perked up from where he lay under the table, before getting up and following the girl as she met Leon by the computer.

"Right here. What's wrong, Squall? Are those things gone?" she questioned, concern clear in her voice as she looked him over for any injuries. Leon nodded as he looked over his shoulder, staring at Sora.

"Sora has a couple of questions for you. They're looking for someone, and we think you might've met them through your travels." he answered, urging the boy forward with the flick of his wrist. The girl nodded in understanding as she walked over, stopping in front of Sora.

"Okay, so what would you like to know?" The boy shifted uncomfortably for a few moments before asking.

"Um…have you met a girl whose name means 'beautiful feather'? She also has this weird power to uh…"

"To see the past memories of the environment and able to see future memories that are going to happen." Axel finished, causing the boy to nod as the group stared at her. The woman was silent for a few minutes as she thought, before her face paled.

"Oh no…please tell me you're not talking about Miu!" she groaned, covering her face with her hands. At this Angelo yelped, lowering his head to the floor and resting his head in his paws at the sound of the name, the group blinking at her in confusion as he did so.

"Miu? Is that her name?" Demyx asked. Rinoa sighed and nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, that's her all right." she answered. Everyone raised their eyebrows before Yuffie poked her head out from behind her. "Wow, is she that bad? You act like she's a wicked stepsister or something!" she exclaimed. Rinoa giggled a little at this, but shook her head.

"No, it's not that. She's just…a little eccentric. Or maybe crazy. She also doesn't like working with others, and is used to doing things herself. Either way, you'd probably get along great with her, Yuffie." she explained. The ninja beamed at this before Goofy stepped in.

"So have ya seen her? We need ta find her for Master Yen Sid." he explained. The girl placed her hand against her chin as she thought, before shaking her head.

"The last time I saw her was a few months ago, when I found Leon again. See, she's a nomad and travels around a lot, so she never stays in one place long. When I first met her, I wanted to go with her so I could find Leon." she explained. The group nodded as they listened before she continued.

"She was reluctant at first, but allowed me to go with her and we traveled for a few months after that. Once I found Leon, she just up and vanished. She does come here from time to time, but it's like every five months when she does." she finished. Sora groaned at this as he raised his arms.

"Five months? We can't stay here for that long!" he groaned in dismay. At this, Aerith decided to pitch in. "Maybe you don't have to. She's a nomad, remember? Maybe she's on another world. You could go to different worlds until you find her." she added. Demyx grinned at this.

"Yeah, we could do that! So, what does she look like?" Rinoa was silent for a moment, before speaking.

"Well, she had unruly auburn hair, freckles, and blue eyes. One of the strands sticks up, like an antennae, and she has part of it in a low ponytail while the rest is left down. She tends to dress differently depending on the world, but the one thing you can always find on her is feathers and her sword." she described, using her hands to point out the different features and even using one to curl up a strand of her hair so that it looked like an antennae. The boys nodded as they made mental notes of this, before Lea stepped forward.

"So, we're going to face Xehanort soon?" Sora nodded as he turned to the man.

"Yeah, we are. So maybe you can head to Disney castle, Kairi's there getting some training with her keyblade and we need someone to help her and the queen. You think you could help?" he asked. The man was silent for a few moments before sighing.

"Sure, why not? It's not like I'm doing anything important, anyways. I'll just have to tell Ienzo, Aleus, and the others where I'm going before I do. So, uh, Axel-" the man perked up at his name and turned, meeting his previous somebody's eyes head on as he made eye contact.

"Since you're going along with Sora and them, can I ask ya to keep him out of trouble? He's too nice for his own good." and indignant "Hey!" was heard from the boy before Axel chuckled.

"Sure, I'll keep an eye on him. But in return, you keep an eye out for Kyrie, deal?" he retorted. Lea smirked before nodding.

"Sure, no prob. Kid's like a sister to me, so I'll keep an eye out for her. I wanna ask how she was doing, but you guys are busy so I'll ask the queen and Kairi when I get to the castle." he promised. Axel nodded in return, and with that they turned to the committee.

"Well, we have to go."

"Be careful and have a safe journey, okay?"

"Yeah! Watch out for heartless and those Unversed! They look pretty nasty!"

"You boys be careful now and practice your magic, Sora!"

"Have fun. We'll hold down the fort here!"

"…see ya."

"Goodbye! It was nice meeting you!"

"Be careful, Sora. Things might get rough along the way."

"Okay, we got it. See ya!" Sora called as he waved. With that, the group disappeared in a flash of light as they returned to the gummi ship.

-Elsewhere-

A young woman panted heavily as she ran though the forest, her bare feet hitting the dirt as she did so. Strange creatures she had never seen were pursuing her, and she was desperate to get away as she jumped over fallen logs and ran through the thick brush. A raccoon clung to her shoulder as she ran, a small green hummingbird flying just ahead of her as she did so. The girl was dressed in skins and furs, her skin a copper color and her hair black as ebony.

"_I have to warn father and the others right away! These creatures…they are nothing that I've ever seen before." _she thought as she ran, her breaths coming out in short gasps. But suddenly her foot got caught in a tree root, making her fall forward and land on the ground with a dull thud, causing the air to leave her as she gasped loudly. After a few moments she turned, watching as the dark creatures circled around her, aiming for the kill. But in the trees, a shadow moved, focused on its prey as they surrounded a helpless woman in distress.

"_They're mine…"_

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><p><strong>Can anyone guess which world the gang will visit first in their search for Kyrie and the mysterious Miu? Well then, tell me in a review! XD<strong>


	9. A New World

**Okay, I might go on a short HIATUS because of some problems at home, but never fear! I will get the next chapter up as soon as I can! ...Now I'm gonna go and eat a sammich.**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 9

All was quiet in the Castle that Never Was, the castle almost completely empty of all life except for the few individuals that remained. But the silence was quickly broken by the sound of someone grunting as well as sparks being emitted as two keyblades slammed into cell doors.

"Ah!"

Kyrie was thrown back, landing on the floor with a heavy thud as her keyblades flew out of her hands, her body being shocked by the dark energy as she did so. This was her fifteenth attempt to try and break out of the Soundless Prison, but again it had failed. The darkness was too strong, and she was too weak from the draining effects of it to overcome it. She slowly got to her feet, staggering a little.

"I have to…try…again!" she panted heavily. But when she reached out for her keyblades, her knee gave out from under her, causing her to collapse to the ground. Giving up with a frustrated sigh of defeat, she slumped against the wall.

"_It's no good…no matter what I try, I just can't break out. My keyblade won't even open the corridors of light because the darkness of this cell is so strong. Damn it…" _she thought with a tired sigh. Rolling onto the floor, she curled up tightly as her eyes fluttered closed, exhaustion gripping her. After a few minutes, she slipped into a deep sleep, her body's needs winning out over her will.

"_I need to get out of here…I…I want to go home…!"_

-Meanwhile, Axel-

"Okay, so we need to find this Miu girl so she can help us with Kyrie or finding this Ventus kid, right? So where do we start?" Demyx asked as he sat on his chair, staring at Sora as he manned the controls. The boy was pensive for a moment, before he answered.

"Well, we can start searching other worlds than the ones we already know. Since she's a traveler, she must like going to new places." he suggested. Axel rolled his eyes from where he sat, dismissive of the boy's idea.

"Yeah but what may be new to us may not be new to her. She might also be on a world that we've already been to. And we can't just focus on her, we need to find Kyrie too! K-Y-R-I-E, got it memorized?" he added, pointing to his temple for emphasis. Sora sighed at this, Axel was right. The girl could be anywhere, and they didn't know where to start. Not to mention that Kyrie was a top priority, too.

"Right. Sorry…" Axel groaned as he scratched the back of his head, now he felt bad. This was one of the bad things about having emotions, when you make kids like Sora feel bad, you feel as guilty as hell. And the fact that this boy carried Roxas's consciousness somewhere inside of him didn't help matters.

"Nah, I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated that we have no clues to where this girl is, that's all." he explained. Sora nodded in understanding, he knew exactly how Axel was feeling. When Kairi had been kidnapped by the Organization a year ago, he was overwhelmed with worry and guilt that none of the others knew he had. So he could understand where the pyro was coming from.

"It's okay, I understand. It's like finding a needle in a haystack." the boy said softly. Donald and Goofy looked between the two for a few seconds, before the bipedal dog had an idea.

"Gawrsh, I know! We can just go to every world and look 'til we find her, and we wouldn't have ta stay there long. We could just take a quick look around, and be on our way again!" he exclaimed, smiling as he did so. Donald and Demyx face-palmed at this while Axel just stared at him, deadpanning. But Sora, being the optimist he was, agreed.

"Yeah, that sounds good! What do you think, guys?" he asked as he looked over his shoulder at the group. Demyx and Donald nodded hesitantly while Axel just shrugged.

"Sure, it's better than doing nothing."

"At least we can revisit the world's we've been to and explore new ones we haven't."

"Hopefully we find another world filled with water. Atlantica's been too boring lately." the group glared at Demyx immediately.

"Demyx, you can't slack off!" they shouted in unison, causing the melodious nocturne to cry out as he covered his head with his arms.

"Okay, okay! Jeez, I won't slack off!"

-A Little While Later-

"Hey, look!" Donald exclaimed as he pointed to the screen. The others looked up from what they were doing and got up, walking over.

"What world is that? I've never seen it before…" Sora asked as he cocked his head to the side. The others shrugged while Donald looked at the screen.

"Hm…it must be a new world." he stated as he stared at the screen, seeing no name appear by the image of this new world, which had an Indian-like settlement at the top and a large wooden barricade on the bottom. Dark trees and a large river separated the two places, but it was clear that both were part of the world. Sora grinned at this as he leaned forward.

"Then let's go explore it! We might find her there, or Kyrie!" at this, Axel moved forward to join them as well. Donald nodded as he set the commands to land in the new world.

"Hang on tight!"

-The River Bend-

"Wow…" the group awed in unison as they stared at their surroundings. They were currently in the middle of a dense forest, the trees towering over them as they outstretched towards the sky. No signs of men ever disturbing this place were apparent, meaning that they were basically in the middle of nowhere. Sora scratched his head as he looked around, confused.

"But where's the people?" he asked as he looked around. The others shrugged their shoulders as well as they looked around before Donald spoke up.

"Maybe people don't live here. It might be like the Pridelands." But Axel wasn't convinced.

"If this were like the Pridelands, we'd be animals by now." Demyx agreed.

"Yeah, but since we aren't there has to be someone living here. Maybe a hermit or something!" he suggested. A sudden noise startled Goofy as his ear flicked, making the bipedal dog glance over his shoulder before he gulped, his eyes widening.

"Gawrsh, uh, fellas-!" he exclaimed as he pointed, shaking like a leaf. The others blinked as they turned, confused on why he was frightened.

"What is it Goof…y…?" Sora started but trailed off as soon as he saw what Goofy was pointing at. Men dressed in fur skins carrying spears, clubs, and other weapons surrounded them, led by a man with painted bear paws on his chest carrying a spear. They summoned their weapons immediately, not sure what to make of them.

"Heartless?" Donald cried as he summoned his staff. Demyx shook his head as he summoned his sitar.

"No, I think they're human!" he exclaimed. Axel growled as he summoned his chakrams, glaring at their current enemies as he did so.

"Well whatever they are, they picked the wrong guys to mess with!" he growled, twirling his chakrams in his hands as he prepared to throw them. Sora turned to agree with the pyro, but his eyes widened when he saw a silhouette creep up from behind him.

"Axel! Watch-" before he could finish, Axel felt something slam into the back of his head, sending him to the ground. His eyesight wavered for a second as he felt his head throb in pain and something wet drip down it, before everything went dark.

-Dreamscape-

At first, everything was dark. I didn't know where I was. The last thing I remembered was looking at Sora, and him shouting about something. Then I felt something hit my head- and that was it. Am I dead?

"**The tiny world that is like a prison to the heart that seeks freedom, a world where darkness is born in the hearts of the brave. The Destiny Islands."**

I started to hear the sound of waves and the cries of the seagulls before I felt something warm touch my face. I opened my eyes, seeing sand in front of me as I lay in it. It quickly sat up, looking around at my surroundings as I did so. I was back at the Islands?

"_How'd I get here?" _I asked to no one in particular.

"_Heh, you've always been here. You came here after Xemnas fell, because you didn't want us to be apart!" _a familiar voice laughed. Wait, I recognize that laugh! I turned, spotting Kyrie as she stood in front of the door to the Seaside shack. She was beaming at me, smiling that shy smile I loved so much as she held her hands behind her back like she wanted to play a game.

"_Kyrie? How'd-" _I cried as I got to my feet, but the second I did that, she turned and bolted through the shack, closing the door behind her as she did so.

"_Hey, Kyrie, wait!" _I cried as I ran after her. I ran to the shack and opened the door, expecting to see the old sea wood that made up the shack. But instead I was met with the sound of trains and a familiar sunset sky. I was in the Tram Common in Twilight town!

"**The world that is both peaceful and in chaos. It is the world between light and dark, where only Twilight remains. Twilight Town."**

"_Huh? Wait, wasn't I just-" _I started as I turned to the door, but it slammed right in my face. I grabbed the knob to try and force it open, but the damn thing wouldn't budge. I sighed.

"_I guess I can't go back. Oh well, better keep going and find Kyrie." _I sighed as I turned. With that I began walking, making sure to stay off the tram tracks so I didn't get run over by one of the stupid things. But the funny thing was, there was no one around. No, I'm not kidding. There's no one around, no people, no pets, not even the trams that ran through this place about every hour every day. Which didn't really make sense because I could hear the trams and the train, but couldn't see them.

"_That's weird. There's no one around." _I said aloud as I walked, my arms crossed. But I just kept walking, at the moment I didn't care about anyone else. All I cared about was finding her. But after a while of walking and searching, I wasn't coming up with anything.

"_Gah! Where is she?" _I exclaimed as I grabbed my hair, completely frustrated. Then I glanced up, seeing the top of the Station tower as I did so. I saw a familiar silhouette and blinked, making sure that I wasn't seeing things. But I wasn't, Kyrie was standing on the top of the Station tower as she glanced off into the distance. I smirked as I turned, running up the Station Heights as I did so. After getting into the Station and running up the stairs that led to our special place, I was at the top of the Station.

"_Kyrie?" _I called as I walked around the corner. But once I got there I stopped, spotting her as she stood there. She perked up at the sound of my voice, turning to me before smiling shyly. I quickly walked over as she sat down, seating myself beside her as I did so. There were so many things that I wanted to say, so many things I wanted to do, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to say or do anything.

"_This was our special place." _she began as she stared out into the sunset. I raised my eyebrow as I turned to her, what was she talking about? She pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them as she wrapped her arms around them.

"_You, me, Roxas, and Xion used to come here everyday when we could, and ate Sea-Salt ice cream together as we laughed and had fun. But then…Roxas and Xion went away and only you and me were left." _I blinked, who was Xion?

"_Xion? Who's Xion?" _I asked as I reached out, brushing her bangs away from her face. She didn't answer, but I felt someone sit next to me. I turned, about to say something, but the words died in my throat as I caught the sight of blonde hair and blue eyes.

"_Who's Xion? You know who she is, Axel!" _Roxas scolded as he sat next to me, a small smirk on his face. I blanked out as I stared at him, I still had no idea who this Xion girl was, and I had no idea what to say. Then I watched as a person dressed in an Organization cloak with their hood pulled up sat next to him. Roxas turned to the person and smiled.

"_Remember how you and me would always talk about how great it would be if Axel and Kyrie got together, Xion? You always thought that they would make a great couple like in those cheesy romance books in the library." _he laughed as he playfully shoved the person's shoulder. The person nodded as they pulled down their hood, revealing a girl with short black hair and blue eyes. Wait…this girl looks like Kairi and Namine!

"_Yeah, I knew Axel would take care of her, and he needs someone like her to even him out. He's not as sarcastic and a jerk when she's around." _the girl giggled. Kyrie smiled as she leaned forward, nodding at the girl.

"_You both were right. I'm happy to be with Axel, because I know he'll always keep me safe and happy." _I flinched at her words, feeling a deep ache in my chest. But I didn't keep her safe, she got taken by Xehanort and I couldn't do anything to stop it.

"_Guys, I'm not-" _I started, but I quickly gasped as they began to fade away. Kyrie smiled sadly at me as she faded away into shards of light, staring at me like she was peering deep into my soul.

"_Don't worry, Axel. You did your best, I can't ask anymore than that." _and with that, she was gone.

-Back to reality-

"Axel?"

Axel groaned in his sleep, sweat gathering on his brow as he twisted and turned slightly, trapped in either a nightmare or a strange dream.

"Axel, c'mon, wake up!"

"Ya hafta get up!"

"Dude, get up!" Demyx growled as he shoved him, causing the pyro to stir as he opened his eyes blearily. After a few moments he was finally awake, grunting in pain as he glared at Demyx.

"What the hell was that for?" he growled, clearly irritated and with a throbbing headache to boot. Demyx sighed in relief, glad that he was up.

"Sorry, but you've been out for awhile and we've been worried! We thought you weren't gonna wake up at all!" the melodious nocturne explained. Axel moved to hit him, before he realized that he couldn't move his arms. Looking down, he realized that his arms were pinned to his sides by rope as it circled his abdomen. He looked at Demyx, Sora, Donald, and Goofy and saw that they were tied up as well and were gathered so that they were pressed back-to-back.

"What the-! How'd we-?"

"Silence, intruders." he quickly looked up, to see the man with the bear paws painted on his chest as he glared at them. Axel narrowed his eyes.

"Why are we tied up? And who are you?" he demanded. But the man grabbed a spear, aiming for this throat.

"We do not answer to the likes of you!" the man snarled. But a hand on the spear stopped him, causing him and Axel to look up at another man who was draped in many animal skins, wearing a headdress on his head.

"Calm yourself, Kocoum." he quickly turned to Sora and the others, and his eyes narrowed.

"Who are you, strange visitors? Are you with the men who are accompanied by strange creatures?" the man asked as he stared at them warily. Sora quickly shook his head.

"No, we aren't."

"Then why are you here? Are you here to take our land and slaughter our people?" the other man, Kocoum, demanded as he pointed his spear at Axel's throat. Demyx gulped at this and started to panic, looking at Sora for help. The boy craned his neck to look at the man.

"No, we aren't here to hurt anyone! We're just here to find someone and a friend!" he exclaimed. At this time, other people who looked similar in skin tone started to gather, staring at them with suspicious and disapproving gazes. Kocoum and the man beside him were the same as they stared at them.

"Liars! These people have come to destroy us along with the men who have landed on our shores! They are accomplices!" he accused. Donald and Goofy were looking at each other in worry, not sure what the outcome for this was going to be. Suddenly though, a young woman came through the crowd and joined the two men, pushing Kocoum's spear away from Axel's throat as she did so. She too was dressed in animal skins, but she wore a blue-shelled necklace around her neck and her long, ebony hair came down her back and stopped at her waist.

"Wait, these people may not be our enemy! They look nothing like the men who have landed on our shores, there is no reason to kill them!" the woman protested. Kocoum glared at the woman and the other man stared at her disapprovingly.

"My daughter-"

"Father, these people remind me of my rescuer! They dress just like-" but another voice cut her off as it echoed through the trees.

"Pocahontas!" everyone began looking around as the voice got louder.

"Pocahooonnttaaaasss!" the voice continued, and it sounded closer as it came from the trees.

"Oh no, here she comes." someone murmured. Sora and the others blinked in confusion, who was coming?

"Pocahoooooooooonnnnnntaaaaaa sssssssss!" within seconds, a figure leaped from the trees, soaring over Demyx's head and landing on the ground as it cart wheeled over to where the woman was standing. When the dust cleared, there stood a girl with wild auburn hair and a strand sticking up like an antennae.

"Pocahontas, there you are! I was looking everywhere for you!"

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><p><strong>Oh my... who could this person be? And for all of you who guessed Pocahontas, you're right! (sorry, I'm such a sucker for this movie. But I hated the sequel, despite Disney's attempt at historical accuracy. And yes, Pocahontas married John Ralph in real life, not John Smith.) So this is the first step for imaginative originality on a whole plot, so I hope you guys enjoy it from here on out!<strong>

**And please... review and tell me what you think!**


	10. Miu, Adventurer Extraordinaire

**Okay, I'm still on a bit of a writer's block and STILL having problems at home, so the next chapter might not come for a week or two. Sorry!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 10

"Pocahontas, there you are! I was looking everywhere for you!" the girl exclaimed as she stared at the woman. The woman, Pocahontas, blinked at her before the girl turned to the group. She was dressed in a dark brown shirt with white trimming, a large red double-bow on the front, and what looked like a black tank top underneath.

Black arm gloves with steel caps on the knuckles covered her arms and a teal bead on black wire hung around her neck. She wore a brown belt that was connected to what looked like an open white skirt where you could see black, skin-tight shorts and knee-high hiking boots. Some of her hair was tied over her shoulder with a purple hair tie, while the rest of it was left down behind her back. Feathers adorned her hair and the sword that rested on her hip, her face covered in freckles and her eyes a sky blue as she stared at them. She looked around Sora and Kairi's age, and was a few inches shorter than Demyx.

"Huh? Who're these guys?" she asked as she stared at the group, cocking her head to the side and leaning in to get a better look. A raccoon and green hummingbird joined her as the raccoon climbed to Pocahontas's shoulder and the hummingbird hovered a few feet away. Kocoum glared at her from where he stood.

"They are prisoners. My men and I caught them trespassing on our land, and we believe they are with the intruders from across the sea." he explained. The girl cocked her head to the side as she looked at him, before she brightened, turning to the man in the headdress.

"Oh, can I interrogate them, Chief Powhatan? Can I? Pleeeaaasssseee?" the girl begged as she knelt in front of the man, her eyes glimmering as she did so. The man blinked at her for a few moments, before chuckling in amusement. But Kocoum wasn't as amused by her antics as he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Interrogate?" she looked at him, her face deadpanning.

"It means to question someone to get the truth or important information out of them. So can I, Chief Powhatan?" she explained before turning her attention to the chief. After a few moments, his chuckles quieted down as he nodded.

"Ah, very well. Because you saved my daughter, I trust you to find the truth and lies in this." the girl cried out in joy as she began jumping up and down.

"Yay! Thank you! Thank you! Thank yooooouuu!" she exclaimed as she began spinning around. But the second she turned back to Sora and the others, her face became serious as she approached the side Axel and Demyx were tied on. She stared at them levelly for a moment, before placing a hand on her sword.

"All right, where were you on the night of the 15th?!" she demanded as she unsheathed her sword, aiming the blade at Demyx's neck. The melodious nocturne paled, while the others stared at her blankly. What was she talking about?

"…Huh?" everyone asked in unison. The girl withdrew her sword, giggling loudly as she did so.

"Sorry, sorry! I just had to make sure I still had it in me! Now, seriously, why are you guys here?" she giggled, winking at Demyx as she did so. The melodious nocturne quickly fell over, looking like he had almost fainted. The boys deadpanned as they stared at each other, before turning their attention to her.

"Well, you see, we're lookin' for our friend and this girl who's supposed to have this weird power, A-hyuck." Goofy explained, smiling at her as he did so. She paused, staring at them with a stoic expression, before laughing.

"Ha, you guys are so funny! I've heard that way too many times!" she laughed as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, tears brimming her eyes. The villagers looked at each other uneasily as she laughed before she calmed down, wiping her eyes. "Now seriously, why are you here?"

"It's the truth! That's why we're here!" Sora protested. But her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms, snorting at them.

"Yeah, and I'm the tooth fairy! Listen, it's bad enough that heartless and some unversed are lurking about, we don't need people like you causing problems!" she stated, closing her eyes and tossing her head as she did so. Then she turned her attention to the chief and Kocoum. "Did you take their belongings when you captured them?"

"Yes, they're over there. We took their weapons and everything they were carrying on them." Kocoum answered as he pointed to where all of their weapons and items lay in a pile a few feet away. She nodded and walked over, before crouching over their items and proceeding to go through it. She hummed as she searched, making a few "Ohs" and "Ahs" as she searched.

"Let's see, a sitar, chakrams, staff, shield, a few potions and high potions, ethers, elixirs, and…oh, a keyblade! This is really rare, and hard to wield!" she turned her attention to them again as she beamed. "Who owns the keyblade?" everyone indicated Sora immediately.

"Um, that would be me." Sora answered uneasily. She nodded and went back to searching, before she stumbled upon a few more interesting items.

"Hm, a photo and two Wayfinders…Wayfinders originate from the Destiny Islands, so you're definitely not from this world. The keyblade signifies that you all fight heartless and all types of villainy, so you're also crime fighters like me. And this photograph-" she stopped dead when she got a closer look at the photo. It was a picture of a white-haired girl and the red-haired man who was tied up with the keyblade bearer. The two were smiling at the camera, the man's arm wrapped around her shoulders as she leaned into his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist. They were seated on the crooked tree, one she remembered seeing on the Destiny Islands.

"_Wait, I've seen this girl before. Back in Hollow Bastion and that weird dream I had a week ago! Her name's Kyrie, if I remember right." _she thought as she stared. The girl stared at the photograph for a few minutes, before speaking.

"What's this girl's name? She the one you are supposedly looking for?" she asked out of the blue, holding up the photo so the others could see. The group nodded.

"Her name's Kyrie, and yeah, we are. She got kidnapped and we're trying to find her before something bad happens to her." Sora answered. She looked up, her eyes narrowing on Axel. "She your girlfriend or something?" Axel was silent for a moment, before nodding.

"Yeah…she is." all was quiet then, before the girl suddenly got up.

"It's okay, you can let them go. They're telling the truth." everyone gasped and Kocoum growled. "Are you blind? These people-"

"These people are the same as me, they too protect the innocent while they search for someone who is dear to them. Now let. Them. Go." her voice hardened at the last few words, she was serious. Then she turned to the chief.

"Chief Powhatan, leave these people under my charge. If they do anything stupid or show any signs of distrust, you can find me liable. Would that be okay with you?" she asked, her arms behind her back. The chief was silent as he stroked his chin, before nodding.

"Very well, I will allow these people to be placed under your care." with that the other men walked forward with knives that looked like they were made from either sharp teeth or bone. The boys gulped, but in a matter of seconds, they were freed from the rope. They began rubbing their wrists as the villagers dispersed, with the girl and Pocahontas remaining behind.

"Um, thanks. You really saved us." Sora said gratefully as he rubbed his wrist. The girl grinned and shook her head.

"No prob! I would never let fellow crime-fighters like myself get into any serious stuff like that." she laughed. The others deadpanned, crime-fighters?

"Um, we're not-" Demyx started, but stopped when she began wagging her finger in front of his face.

"Look, if you fight heartless and save the worlds, then you are crime-fighters who travel to spread truth and justice to all you meet! Like super heroes!" she explained proudly. Donald and Goofy began chuckling and Sora joined in, before they began introducing themselves.

"Well anyways, I'm Sora."

"Donald!"

"Goofy!"

"I'm Demyx, the guy you almost scared to death."

"Axel. A-X-E-L, got it memorized?" Axel spoke as he pointed to his temple. The girl and Pocahontas nodded.

"Wingapo, I am Pocahontas." Pocahontas spoke softly as she raised her arm in a greeting. The girl grinned as she held her arms behind her back.

"Wingapo! My name's Miu, adventurer extraordinaire! I travel all over the worlds, spreading truth and justice and kicking some bad guy butt. I help the innocent and punish the wrong-doers, for I am a vigilante superhero! And my name means 'Beautiful Feather'." the girl stated proudly as she puffed out her well-endowed chest. The guys stared at her, before crying out in shock.

"Wait, you're Miu? The girl we're supposed to be looking for?" Demyx exclaimed as he pointed dramatically at her. Miu cocked her head to the side, confused as she pointed to herself.

"Huh? You were looking for me? Wow, I must be pretty famous!" she gushed excitedly. Axel just deadpanned, this girl was exactly as Rinoa described.

"_Yup, she's a crazy one. But man, I didn't think finding her was gonna be this easy!" _he thought as he watched her turn her attention to Donald. She stared at him for a moment, before her eyes focused in on his tail feathers.

"Oooh…a feather! Can I please have it? Pleeeaaase? Pretty please with sugar on top?" she begged, her eyes focused solely on his tail feathers. The duck quacked, backing up.

"What? No! You can't have any!"

"Aww, c'mon! I asked nicely!"

"No!"

"Fine! Then I'll just have to do this the hard way!" and with that, she lunged, capturing Donald in her grip as the duck quacked and struggled.

"Lemme go! Lemme go- Yeouch!" Donald cried as she yanked out a good-sized feather from his tail. The girl smirked as she stared at the feather, seemingly proud of herself as she pulled out a string with a bead attached and wrapped it around the pointed end. With that, she tied it to her sword, which already had a feather on it.

"There! Another feather to add to the collection!" she stated proudly. Donald growled as he rubbed the spot where the feather had come from, Goofy laughing to himself all the while. Sora, Axel, Demyx, and Pocahontas watched the exchange with confused expressions, before Sora turned to Pocahontas.

"Um, Pocahontas? Why does the chief like Miu so much?" he asked the young woman. She turned to him and smiled.

"Because she saved me. You see, I was wandering through the woods when these strange monsters appeared and began chasing me. I was with Meeko and Flit, and we ran to try and get away from the creatures. But then I tripped, and when I thought all was lost, she appeared from the trees and slew the strange monsters." she paused as the raccoon on her shoulder began squeaking and the hummingbird flittered around them. Scratching the raccoon's chin, she continued.

"Kocoum, father, and the other men had just arrived when she began destroying the creatures, and when she was done she introduced herself and explained that she was a traveler venturing to new places and told us about herself. After that, she began staying on the outskirts of the village, slaying the monsters before they could get near. Awhile after that, strange men with pale skin appeared on our shores. That's why Kocoum and the others were so suspicious of you." she explained. Sora nodded as he crossed his arms.

"The monsters must be heartless, though I don't know who the guys with pale skin are." he stated. She cocked her head to the side.

"Heartless?"

"The monsters that chased you. They're creatures without hearts." Axel explained. She nodded in understanding before feeling a tap on her shoulder, causing her to turn and look at Miu as the girl smiled mischievously at her.

"Want a tour of the village? Since you're under my charge and all! And it would be absolutely awful if I, your wonderful warden, didn't give you a tour of this fine village!" Sora and the others looked at each other before looking at her.

"Sure, let's go!" she cried out in joy as she threw her hands into the air, before grabbing Sora's wrist as she proceeded to give them a tour of the village.

-Later-

"And this is where the chief lives! The healer is a couple of homes away, but he is very wise and is almost like a shaman!" Miu explained as she and Pocahontas finished giving the group a tour of the village. Pocahontas looked towards the north, before looking back to them. She seemed a bit apprehensive, causing Axel and Demyx to narrow their eyes suspiciously.

"I'm sorry, but there is somewhere that I must go. It was a pleasure to meet you." she apologized. With that she ran off, making Miu scoff as she puffed her cheeks and placed her hands on her hips.

"Pocahontas is always disappearing! I can never have fun with her always disappearing like that!" she pouted. Sora held his hands behind his head.

"Maybe she had something important to do?" he asked. She crossed her arms.

"I dunno." everyone was quiet for a few moments, before Goofy gasped.

"Gawrsh, didn't ya say that heartless were hangin' around? She could get into trouble!" he pointed out. Miu gasped.

"Oh, you're right!" she quickly turned to them. "You guys mind helping me follow her? It'll be like we're secret agents trying to stop a villain from taking over the world!" she asked as her hands flew into the air for emphasis. The boys were silent for a moment, before nodding.

"Sure, why not?" She grinned widely as she pumped her fist in the air.

"Great! Well, let's get going!" and with that she started off towards the woods, not even waiting to see if Sora and the others were following after her. The boys looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders, following after the girl as she hummed a tune.

"Sora, do we have to bring this girl with us? She's insane!" Axel whispered to the boy, making sure that the girl was far enough away so that she couldn't hear them. Sora nodded his head adamantly.

"Master Yen Sid said we needed her to find Ventus! So we have to convince her to come along with us." he answered, making the man sigh in aggravation. After going through a large patch of corn, the group found themselves in a dense forest, Pocahontas nowhere in sight. Miu sighed dramatically as she looked around, hands on her hips.

"Ah, we lost her!" Demyx looked down at the ground, where numerous footprints lay. "And we can't track her footprints either. How're we gonna find her?" The girl was silent for a moment, before an idea popped into her head.

"Ah, I know! I'll just use my power, that'll make it easier." the others blinked at her, power?

"_Yeah, Yen Sid said something about her having a power over memories. What was it called again?" _Axel thought as he scratched his head. She took a few steps forward, and held her arms so they were outstretched at her sides. A strange purple and blue aura began to wrap itself around her, and her eyes began to change color. They shifted from cyan, to lavender, and then to silver.

"Show yourself, memories of the past and future. Allow me to see the answers I seek, allow me to see the truth that hides itself from all. Open to me, Place Memories!" with that the aura shot out of her body, causing the world to shift and distort around them.

"Yah!" Donald and Goofy cried as they hugged each other, not sure what to make of it. Time seemed to reverse around them, showing various people and animals that walked through the same path they did. Then it seemed to slow down, and stopped when a see-through image of Pocahontas began walking up the path from behind them. She passed through Sora and Miu before going north, and a few moments after see-through images of themselves appeared, Miu doing the same thing she had a few seconds ago.

"_Ah, we lost her!"_

With that, everything changed back to normal and the images disappeared. The group looked around in shock, what had just happened?

"That's my power, strange right? I can see all the past memories of a place through energies and auras that flow in my body. I can even see the future memories that are going to happen through these same energies." Miu explained as she turned to them, holding her hands behind her back as she grinned at them. Sora nodded in understanding as he stared at her.

"My guess is, you were looking for me because of that, right?" she continued. Everyone nodded as Sora stepped forward.

"We were asked by Master Yen Sid to come find you so you could help us look for someone. Also…he said that Master Xehanort might come after you, too. And we don't want you to be taken like Kyrie was." he explained. She was silent for a moment before shaking her head.

"Sorry, but no thanks. I've got my own problems to deal with. And if I ever run into this 'Master Xehanort'…then he better bring an army because I'll whoop his sorry butt!" and with that she began walking off in the direction the vision had gone. Sora and the others gaped at her, before running to catch up.

"But wait! Master Xehanort's no pushover and we really need your help!" Sora protested. At this, she scoffed.

"Please, I can take care of myself! I don't need to be dragged down by other people, I'm a lone wolf." she exclaimed proudly. Axel growled and opened his mouth to say something, but the distant sounds of voices stopped him. Miu quickly turned to them.

"Shh! I think I can hear Pocahontas!" she whispered, ending the conversation for the moment. With that they crept forward so that they were hidden by some bushes. Peeking over, they spotted Pocahontas and a pale-skinned man as they stood a few feet away from each other, their hands touching. Miu gasped at this.

"Oh no, the enemy!" with that, she quickly ran from the bushes. Demyx reached out to stop her, but her arm brushed against his fingertips as she ran out of his reach. "Miu, wait!"

"Hyaaaah!" Miu cried as she leaped, round-house kicking the white man in his chest and sending him flying. He slammed into a root of a willow tree and in seconds she was standing over him, blade at his throat.

"Who are you, and what are you doing with Pocahontas?"

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><p><strong>Wow... Miu's crazy. And I created her!<strong>

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and all of it's craziness and hilarity. And don't ask about the "Where were you on the night of the 15th" question, it's just one of those questions that had a hinted meaning behind it. I think.**

**So... enjoy and review!**


	11. Kocoum's Death

**Slowly but surely I'm getting out of my writer's block. ...DAMN IT!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 11

"Who are you, and what are you doing with Pocahontas?" Miu growled as she pressed her blade to the man's throat, her boot firmly placed over the armor of his chest as she pressed down, pinning him there. The man stared at her in surprise, shocked that a person with the same skin tone as his being affiliated with Pocahontas. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Pocahontas were at the girl's side immediately, trying to pry her off the man.

"Miu, stop! He is my friend, John Smith!" Pocahontas protested as she grabbed Miu's arm, pulling it back so that the sword wasn't at his throat. Miu growled as she turned back to her.

"Pocahontas, he's a bad guy! He's with the people who are controlling the heartless!" she exclaimed. Immediately a keyblade, wand, sitar, and chakram joined her blade as Sora and the others glared down at him.

"What? He's with the heartless?" Donald exclaimed, glaring at the man. Miu nodded as she turned her attention back to the man. "Uh-huh, I saw it! When I was trying to find the source of the darkness in this world, I found their fort and nothing but heartless surrounded it!"

"Uh, pardon me, but don't I have a say in this?" the man, John Smith, spoke as he looked down her blade and the other weapons pointed at him. Miu glared at him, looked at Pocahontas, then back to him again. "Ugh, fine. But I'm warning you, if you do anything fishy-" but his eyes widened as he spotted a shape coming at her.

"Behind you!" he exclaimed, pointing. Miu ducked just in time as a Solider flew over her head and John's, landing on the ground with a thud. Swearing loudly, she and the others turned to see various heartless surrounding them including Neoshadows, shadows, creeper plants, and Sapphire Elegys. The group surrounded Pocahontas and John Smith, their eyes on the heartless as the horde surrounded them.

"Where'd they all come from?" Sora exclaimed. Axel shook his head.

"I don't know and I don't care. These punks are going down!" he quickly threw his chakrams, taking down five each before they returned to his hands. Everyone else followed, John Smith pulling out a gun as he began to shoot at the heartless. Once his group was gone, Axel turned to the others.

"Anyone need help?" he called. Sora nodded as he jumped, taking out a Sapphire Elegy, before landing and turning to him.

"Yeah, make sure Pocahontas and that guy are all right!" he called back. Axel nodded as he turned to Pocahontas and John Smith, only to see someone else. Miu was playfully dancing around the heartless, dodging their attacks and drawing more to her. The dance was similar to how a butterfly flitted around the flower, graceful but playful as well. The others stopped and watched, was she playing with them?

"Nyah nyah! Can't get me!" she cried, blowing a raspberry as she shook her behind at the heartless, irritating them even more. Sora sighed as he scratched his head.

"Miu, this is no time to be playing around! We've gotta-" but her persona quickly changed from playful to deadly as she mercilessly took them down, slashing her sword as her eyes became steely and cold. Her attacks were quick and merciless, nothing like the playful dodges she was displaying only moments before. Ducking and dodging the heartless attacks with ease, she even went as far as to physically punch a Neoshadow back as it tried to lunge at her. Once they were gone, she turned to them, a goofy grin on her face.

"Wow, that was fun! Those heartless were no match for Miu, adventurer extraordinaire!" she exclaimed as she began shadow-boxing the air, clearly having enjoyed slaying her enemies as if they were nothing but prey. Everyone blinked before Sora turned to John Smith, who was standing with Pocahontas. "Thanks for the warning back there. She probably didn't realize it, but that heartless could've hurt her if you hadn't said anything." he explained, thanking the man in Miu's place. He nodded.

"It's nothing. By the way, my name is John Smith." he said as he introduced himself. Sora grinned. "My name's Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel. And the girl over there is Miu." he pointed to each person as he said their name, and they waved in response.

"Hello!"

"Hiya, A-hyuck!"

"What's up?"

"Yeah, name's Axel, got it memorized? A-X-E-L." John blinked at them, before chuckling. "When we were coming here, I didn't expect to see other travelers who'd made friends with the natives." he explained when they blinked at him in confusion. At this, Sora gasped.

"Oh yeah! What Miu said, is it true?" John was silent as he scratched the back of his head, before shrugging.

"I didn't know that that's what they were called. I guess you could say that what she said is partly the truth, only myself and the other crewmen aren't fond of them. Governor Ratcliffe however…" he trailed off before looking at an old willow tree that was behind him. "For some reason or another, they only listen to him. Thomas and the other crewmen don't trust either him or them, and neither do I." he finished. Axel scratched the back of his head.

"Governor Ratcliffe? Who's that?"

"He's a Governor of our country, and I guess you can say our captain besides myself. We came here from England, looking for gold." he explained. The group nodded before a vine shot out, tapping Smith on the shoulder.

"Yes, and since you lot came all I can feel from my roots is the vibrations from the earth being dug up by those men. All in search for this 'gold'." Donald cried out as he jumped onto Goofy, who was equally astonished.

"Yah! A vine that talks!" the voice snorted.

"What a rude thing to say! Don't you boys have manners?" Miu and Pocahontas giggled as they looked at the willow tree. "Don't be angry with them, Grandmother Willow."

"Yeah! They probably don't have talking willow trees where they're from!" Miu added. The boys blinked at her, before looking at the willow tree where sure enough, you could see the face of an aged woman.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed as Demyx pointed. "A talking tree!" Miu rolled her eyes at this.

"Well duh! Didn't you idiots listen to a word I just said?" Pocahontas placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, calming her down before turning to them.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, Axel, this is grandmother willow, a willow tree. Grandmother willow, this is Sora and his friends." the girl spoke as she introduced the boys to the wise tree. The tree smiled, holding a vine out to them.

"It is wonderful to meet you." they stared warily at the vine before she chuckled. "And don't worry, my bark is worse than my bite." Sora nodded as he reached out and grasped the vine, giving it a handshake as the others followed suit. But Axel stayed as far from the tree as possible, obviously not interested.

"_We need to find the keyhole to the soul of the world and leave already. We already found Miu, now we need to find out where Kyrie is." _he thought as he stood there, his arms crossed. Suddenly, voices began to echo through the trees, catching their attention.

"John!"

"John Smith!"

"John, where are ya, it's time to go back!" John Smith groaned as he face-palmed. "Oh great, Ratcliffe's sent the men looking for me. And from the sounds of it, it's Ben and Lon." Miu and Grandmother Willow looked at each other, before winking.

"Well then, let Grandmother Willow and I take care of them for you. We don't need them running home to tell them of what you two have been doing, right?" with that she pushed the others into the bushes and under the larger roots of the tree before she began climbing up. Within moments two men with pale skin walked over, obviously looking for someone.

"Do ya suppose we'll run into any savages?" one with red hair and a bear asked another. The other man scoffed, positioning his gun. "If we do lad, I'll just pull the trigger and show them what happens when they cross us Englishmen." at this, Grandmother Willow raised one of her roots, effectively tripping them as they landed flat on their faces. She kept the root raised as they looked at each other in confusion, but when they looked back she quickly lowered it back to the ground. The men blinked, before turning to each other.

"Did you see that there? It moved on it's own!"

"Ah, you're just seein' things! There's no way that-"

"Arrroooooooooooooooo!" a sudden howl echoed through the forest, catching the men off guard. They cried out in surprise, getting to their feet as they looked around in confusion. Sora and the others were confused too, what was making that sound? "What was that?"

"I don't know…but let's get out of here!"

"Arrrrooooooooooooooooooooo!" with that they quickly ran, Grandmother Willow using her vines to whip them on the behinds as they did so. After a few moments, everyone walked out of the brush as Miu swung down from the branches, laughing as she did so.

"Did you see the looks on their faces? Man, that was priceless!" she laughed as she pointed to the direction where the men had gone. Everyone stared at her.

"You mean- that was you?" Sora gasped. She nodded, cupping her hands around her mouth and howled again. "Arrrooooooo!"

"Wow, that was awesome! You really scared the crap outta those guys!" Demyx laughed, patting her on the shoulder. She grinned before turning to Grandmother Willow. "What really freaked them was when they saw her root slam to the ground! Bet they don't see that everyday where they're from!" The old willow tree smiled as she snapped one of her vines.

"I still got some snap in these old vines!" she chuckled, waving her vine in emphasis. As she and the old tree continued talking, Sora and the others turned to Pocahontas and John Smith. The blonde-haired man sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, before turning to her.

"Looks like I better go, before they send the whole crew out to look for me." she looked at him anxiously. "Will I be able to see you again?"

"Sure, let's meet up later tonight. Then we can think of a way to smooth things over with your father and Governor Ratcliffe." and with that, he turned and walked away. Once he was gone, Pocahontas looked back at the others.

"I'll go ahead and see if my father will consider meeting John Smith and the rest of his men. I will see you at the village." and she disappeared too, running back in the direction of the village. Sora turned to them.

"Let's go and see if we can help her convince her dad about making peace with them. It can't be that hard!" he suggested, but Axel shook his head.

"Sora, they've been getting attacked by heartless that hang around those crewmen! There's no way he's gonna try and make peace with them, not after nearly losing his daughter to one of them!" he explained. Donald sighed, crossing his arms.

"Then what'll we do? Things could get worse if we don't try something!" he stated. At this Miu turned, walking towards them.

"Maybe we can-" but her words died in her throat as a new aura wrapped itself around her body, this one white as it shot out into the environment. The world changed around them, turning into night as figures began to appear. Once the haze cleared, they could clearly see Kocoum and John fighting with Pocahontas trying to stop them.

"_Guys, wait!" _they then saw themselves as they ran in to intervene, but a gunshot rang out, causing them to stop in their tracks. Kocoum gasped, his body falling back and landing in the water nearby. A young man walked out of the trees, shocked as he held a gun in his hands. Before anyone could move, they could hear the distant sounds of the villagers and Chief Powhatan, and John pushed him towards the forest.

"_Thomas, go!" _he instructed, the man nodding and doing what he was told. Within moments after he ran, the village men arrived, taking in the scene in front of them. Without a moment's hesitation, they quickly apprehended John, Pocahontas protesting as they began to take him away, along with Kocoum's corpse.

"What the-" Sora started but within seconds, everything was back to normal and Miu staggered, before her knees gave out from under her. Demyx was quick to catch her before she hit the ground, dazed and disoriented. Everyone crowded around Miu as she tried to pull herself together, spouting a million questions per minute.

"What was that?"

"What did you do?"

"That was…future memory." she gasped as she tried sitting up. "It's like a prediction, it shows a memory that's going to happen through the same energies that I use to see into the past. But…I can't control it, so it happens randomly and drains some of my energy when it does. That's…what you all saw." she explained as Demyx helped her to her feet. But she staggered a little, causing the melodious nocturne to wrap his arm around her shoulders to steady her. Sora stared at her, amazed.

"So…what we just saw-"

"Is going to happen. Which means that Kocoum's gonna get killed and that guy's gonna take the fall for it." Axel stated, crossing his arms. Everyone gasped, before Donald turned to her.

"We can't let that happen!" Goofy nodded as he joined his feathered companion.

"Gawrsh, is there any way to stop it? Can't we change it?" he added. Miu was silent, before nodding. "I've only changed the future once, so I can't guarantee that this will work, but…" she looked at them, her eyes hard.

"We have to stop Pocahontas from leaving the village and meeting with him, it's the only way. If we can prevent one of the parties from meeting, then we can change what's going to happen."

-The Village-

It was dusk now, and the group had been around the entire village looking for Pocahontas. But the girl was nowhere to be found.

"Argh, where is she?" Axel growled. Miu looked around before spotting a familiar face as they walked into the village from the corn patch. "Nakoma!" the girl stopped and looked at Miu, a worried expression on her face.

"Hey, have you seen Pocahontas?" she asked the girl. Nakoma was silent, before nodding. "Yes…but please, you must help her!"

"What's happened?" Sora asked. The girl turned to him, a hand clenched over her chest. "She's gone to see one of the pale men, I tried to stop her but-!" Miu placed a hand on her shoulders, calming her.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. We're not gonna let anything happen to her. So she left the village?" she nodded, causing Axel to swear.

"Damn, then we're too late." but Demyx shook his head as he placed a hand on the pyro's shoulder. "Wait, we can still stop her!" Donald and Goofy nodded as the group started for the direction of Grandmother Willow's tree.

"Then c'mon!"

-Grandmother Willow-

"Hey, I can hear shouting!" Sora exclaimed, the sounds of a struggle sounding through the trees. The group ran faster, getting to the clearing just as Kocoum neared his knife to John's throat, Pocahontas trying to pry the man off of him as he did so. The group watched the struggle with wide eyes, before Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran in.

"Guys, wait!" he exclaimed as he ran in, causing the two men to glance at him. But at that moment, a gunshot rang out, causing them to stop in their tracks. Just like in the vision, Kocoum fell, his body landing in a nearby pool of water with a resounding splash. They were too late, the vision had become true.

"No…" Miu gasped, running to them just as a young man staggered into the open, gun in hand. John turned to the boy and Pocahontas cried out, trying to lunge for him. "You killed him! Monster!" she exclaimed. Axel and Demyx joined him in holding her back, as Miu got between the two parties.

"Wait, everyone just calm down!" she quickly turned to the boy, who was trembling in his boots. "Hey, you okay?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her.

"He…was gonna kill John! I had to stop him, I had to-" Sora joined her in calming the man. "Hey, it's-" but he was cut off at the sounds of the male villagers calling out, and John turned to the boy.

"Thomas, go!" he instructed. But the man looked at him. "But-"

"Go!" he commanded, his voice hard. Thomas hesitantly nodded and ran off, just as the villagers walked into the clearing. They looked at the group, before looking to where Kocoum lay, anger etched into their features. "Capture him! He has killed Kocoum!" within minutes, John Smith was tied up and being led away as Pocahontas, Sora, and the others watched on. Miu sighed as he looked towards Grandmother Willow, where Meeko, Flit, and a white dog were trembling under one of her branches.

"We tried to change it, but like I said there was no guarantee that we could. There's no stopping the future from happening."

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><p><strong>OMG! Kocoum is dead! *applauds* ...Wait... that's not good! John Smith's gonna be executed now! SHIT!<strong>

**Anyways, enjoy. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by next week.**


	12. Race against Time

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 12

"Okay, so Sora you, Donald, and Goofy can go with Pocahontas and see if you can convince chief Powhatan to spare John's life and to try and make peace with the crewmen. Demyx, Axel, and I will follow after that Thomas guy and see if we can convince that Governor Ratcliffe guy to try and make peace with the chief. Does everyone understand what they need to do?" Miu instructed as the others huddled around her. After trying to come up with ways to stop the two sides from fighting, Miu came up with the idea to split up and see if they could convince either side to step down and try to make peace. Sora nodded.

"Okay, we'll go and try to convince the chief. You guys be careful, okay? If the Governor is really controlling the heartless, then he might send them after you." he cautioned, worry clear on his features as he stared at the three. Axel nodded as he gave the boy a thumbs up.

"We'll be fine. You guys be careful too, not sure what the villagers will think of us now after seeing what happened. We'll all meet up here after we're done with what we gotta do, got it memorized?" he added. Everyone nodded before Pocahontas grabbed Sora's sleeve, leading him towards the village.

"We must hurry! They're going to execute him at sunrise!" she urged. The boy nodded as he followed her, Donald and Goofy right on their tails. With that Miu turned to Axel and Demyx, grinning.

"Then let's get going too, we have to try and stop them." Axel and Demyx nodded as the three went down the path that Thomas had gone, hoping to stop either side before it was too late.

-Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Pocahontas-

"Father, please!" Pocahontas begged as she stood before her father. After running back to the village, she, Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried in vain to convince the chief to spare John Smith and try to make peace with the crewmen. But the chief was stern as he refused, his eyes full of disappointment.

"You disobeyed me daughter, and because of that Kocoum is dead! And it was because of that monster that we have lost one of our bravest fighters. These men do not wish to make peace with us, they wish to destroy us!" he shot back. Sora stepped forward to her defense immediately, not liking how the chief was treating his daughter.

"But she was only trying to help you guys! She and John were going to try and convince you guys to not fight each other so that no one got hurt. That's all she was trying to do, she didn't mean for him to…" Sora protested, cutting off at the last part because he didn't want to say a thing about Kocoum's death. Donald and Goofy nodded as they joined him.

"Yeah!"

"Gawrsh, can't y'all try and make peace with each other? Fighting doesn't solve anything at all." Goofy asked as he stared at the chief. But the man was firm as he stared at them, his resolve unwavering.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot. Kocoum is dead, and that man and his people are the ones responsible. At dawn, he is to be executed and we are to declare war on his people." with that he went back into his tepee. The four stood there in disbelief before the sounds of footsteps startled them. Turning, they spotted Nakoma as she emerged from the underbrush.

"Pocahontas, I'll take you to see John Smith, but I can't take the others. I'm sorry…" Pocahontas stopped her before turning to Sora, Donald, and Goofy.

"You three go ahead and meet with the others at Grandmother Willow's tree. I'll join you after I've seen John Smith." she explained. Sora and the others nodded as they took off towards Grandmother Willow's tree, hoping Miu and the others were able to convince the crewmen to try and make peace.

-Meanwhile, Miu Demyx Axel-

Miu looked down at the fort from where she was hidden in the trees, watching as the men prepared their guns. She narrowed her eyes, seeing heartless surround the fort.

"_We'll just have to take a few out so we can see Ratcliffe. Either that, or get his men to rebel." _she thought as she watched the men and the heartless. With that she descended to the ground, where Axel and Demyx were waiting for her. The two men raised their heads as she landed gracefully, both on edge with so many heartless nearby.

"So what's going on? Did you see something?" Demyx asked as he walked over. Miu sighed as she scratched the back of her head, frustrated.

"Yeah, it looks like Thomas told them about John and now they're preparing to fight. It looks like the heartless surrounding the fort are getting ready to fight too. Which means that they're definitely under someone's control, probably Governor Ratcliffe's." she explained, her eyes narrowing at the mention of the heartless. The two men nodded grimly before Axel turned, summoning his chakrams.

"Either way, we gotta get in and stop them. Otherwise, it'll be nothing but a bloodbath." he scowled. Miu and Demyx nodded as they drew their weapons, before the three took off towards the fort. The heartless, which consisted of Soldiers, looked up as they ran in and before they could strike they took them down, not giving them a chance. Once they got into the fort, the crewmen looked up from where they were getting their armor and guns and one of them sounded the alarm as he pointed.

"Intruders! Governor Ratcliffe, there's intruders in the fort!" the man called. But Demyx stepped forward immediately, trying to calm the men down.

"Wait, we're not here to hurt anyone! We're here to talk!" he called. The men stopped and looked at the trio suspiciously. They weren't copper-skinned like the savages, but did that make them any more trustworthy? A pompous voice spoke up from behind the men, catching the three's attention immediately.

"Really, you're here to talk? And what reason did you have for cutting down my guards without warning?" a large man with black hair and a mustache asked as he stepped forward, dressed in black armor and wearing a purple hat that had a blue feather attached. Miu raised her eyebrow, a scowl on her face.

"**You're** the Governor Ratcliffe that John Smith was talking about? Gosh, are you fat! Then again, you're a governor so you probably live a pretty fancy life with fancy food and all the servants you please." she commented as she pointed, causing some of the men to chuckle at her remark and the large man to glare at her.

"Hmph, you obviously are a savage because no proper lady would dare make such remarks." this caused Miu to growl as she took a step forward and shook her fist at the large man.

"Hey! Why I outta-" but a hand over her mouth stopped her as Axel pulled her back, keeping her mouth covered with his hand.

"Uh, pardon the girl, they don't really have manners in the country where she comes from. Anyways…" he looked over to the man, his eyes hard. "We're here to ask you to try and make peace with the natives. Listen, if you can talk to the chief we could save your friend-"

"Wait, you know what's happening to John? How is he? Is he all right?" A familiar voice, Thomas's, exclaimed as he pushed through the crowd. The other men reacted immediately as they began to shout questions, but Governor Ratcliffe held up his hand, silencing them. Once they were quiet, he turned to them.

"And why should we believe you? You could very well be in league with the savages, trying to get us to let our guard down with promises of peace!" Ratcliffe accused, pointing his finger at them. The men looked at the group then back to each other, talking amongst themselves. Miu growled as she stepped forward, her cyan eyes blazing.

"Why should that matter? And they aren't savages, they're people just like you and me! You're the ones who invaded their land, looking for something that doesn't even exist here!" she turned to the men, who were eyeing her with curiosity.

"This man is lying to all of you! There's no gold here, and there's never been gold here! He's been lying to you all along, and now he wants you to fight and die because he's too selfish and greedy to realize that he was wrong!" she proclaimed, pointing to Ratcliffe as the man gaped at her in surprise. Thomas and the other men looked towards him, seeing what he was going to do. The man stared at her for a few long moments, before speaking.

"Ha! You're a very smart girl, but far too imaginative to see reality for what it really is." he turned to his men. "These people are in league with the savages, and they know where the gold is!"

"No, there is no gold! All we want is you guys to get along, we don't want anyone to get hurt!" Demyx exclaimed, moving so that he was behind Miu. Ratcliffe glared at them before pointing at them, smirking proudly all the while.

"Lies! Those savages do have gold, and you are trying to steer my men from the truth! Arrest them, in the name of King James the third!" immediately a group of Soldiers and Sapphire Elegys surrounded them. Some of the men also grabbed their guns, aiming for the three as they stared around at the heartless surrounding them. Axel quickly grabbed Miu and Demyx's shoulders, pulling them towards the entrance of the fort.

"C'mon, they won't listen to us!" Miu and Demyx turned to him.

"But-"

"Now! We're gonna get captured otherwise!" he growled, shoving them roughly towards the entrance. Without further argument, the group ran towards the entrance, dodging the heartless as they attacked them and taking out a few along the way. A few gunshots rang out as some of the men began firing.

"Whoa!" Demyx exclaimed as he ducked, a bullet whizzing by his ear. Running into the forest, the continued to dodge bullets as they whizzed past, before they heard Miu cry out in pain. Turning, they spotted her sprawled out on the ground as she held a hand over her thigh. Demyx gasped as he turned to run to her aid.

"Miu!" he exclaimed as he and Axel rushed over. Miu looked up at them, wincing as she removed her hand from the wound. Thankfully, the bullet only grazed her but the wound looked nasty. "I-I'm okay! It's just a scratch."

"Okay my ass, it looks bad. Bad as in B-A-D, got it memorized?" Axel scolded, pointing to his temple. Demyx nodded in agreement as he placed his hand over the wound, causing the girl to wince as he stared at her in worry.

"Yeah, we need to get this healed and quick. But we can't do it here, the heartless and those crewmen will get us. C'mon!" with that the two men then pulled the girl to her feet, wrapping her arms around each of their shoulders as they continued to run, supporting her all the while. She blinked at them in confusion as they did so, why were they helping her?

"_I'm just someone they met only hours ago. Is it because they need me that they're helping me, or is there another reason? …Nah, they're just helping me because they need me, nothing else." _

-Later, Grandmother Willow's Tree-

"Man, where are they?" Sora sighed as he, Donald, and Goofy looked around for the rest of their group. Pocahontas looked over from where she was seated in front of Grandmother Willow, concern on her face.

"Will they be all right? Do you think they'll be able to convince them to not fight?" she asked. The three shrugged before the bushes rustled, causing them to look up in surprise. Within moments, Axel, Demyx, and Miu stumbled out into the clearing, the two men supporting the girl as she held up her left leg, blood dripping down from a nasty wound on her thigh. They gasped.

"Miu!" Sora exclaimed as he ran over, Donald and Goofy right behind him as Axel and Demyx lowered the girl to the ground. They surrounded her in minutes, examining the wound. Miu grinned, seemingly unaffected by the wound.

"Hey, guys! So, how'd it go with Chief Powhatan? Did you manage to convince him to let John go?" she asked as she stared. But the boys were more concerned with the wound on her leg than answering their question. Sora looked up at her in surprise.

"Doesn't your leg hurt you?" her smile faltered for a second, before she shook her head.

"Nope! I'm one-hundred percent A-okay!" she grinned, giving them a thumbs-up. Donald wasn't convinced as he pulled out his staff, preparing a cure spell. She made a move to stop him, but Goofy placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"Cura!" Donald exclaimed as he waved his staff over the wound, a flurry of leaves leaving it and landing on her skin, healing the wound in seconds. Axel looked as Sora as he straightened up, his eyes hard as he stared at the boy.

"We couldn't convince the crewmen to stop. That Governor Ratcliffe guy is bad news, Miu was right. They started shooting at us when he ordered them to arrest us, and a couple of heartless came after us too." Sora nodded as he looked at Miu, before looking back to him.

"Is that how Miu…?"

"Yeah. So, what about you guys? Did you manage to convince the chief?" Sora was quiet as he scratched the back of his head.

"Well…"

-A few minutes later-

"Then it's hopeless." Demyx sighed as he sat down. After hearing that Sora couldn't help Pocahontas convince her father, the group became more dejected and frustrated. Miu growled as she slammed her fist to the ground.

"We can't just give up! Miu, adventurer extraordinaire, never gives up! I swear on my honor, we will find a way to stop this!" she exclaimed as she got to her feet. But the others weren't so sure, except for Sora. The boy nodded as he clenched his fists and pumped them into the air.

"Yeah! We just can't give up, Miu's right!"

"But what can we do, Sora?" Axel asked from where he was leaning against a tree, his arms crossed. Everyone was quiet before Meeko crawled over to Pocahontas, waving something in his paw as he tugged on the girl's skirt. She looked over, to see a compass in his paw.

"Hey, is that a compass?" Miu asked from where she sat. Pocahontas nodded as she stared at the compass, her eyes focused on the arrow as it spun.

"The spinning arrow…"

"Huh?"

"It's the arrow from your dream, child!" Grandmother Willow exclaimed. Pocahontas watched as it continued to spin, before it suddenly stopped, pointing to the direction where the sun was beginning to rise. She was silent for a few moments, before getting to her feet.

"We have to try and stop them. And we have to find a way to save John Smith." Miu smirked as she walked over to the girl and pumped her fist.

"Then let's go! You can stop your father from executing John Smith and we'll stop Ratcliffe and the heartless. So, let's go!" with that the two women were off, causing Sora and the other boys to groan as they followed close behind.

"Miu, Pocahontas! Slow down!"

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><p><strong>Sigh... still in a writer's block. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. I wanna say more... but I'm too depressed to. SIGH...<strong>

**Please review...**


	13. Saving John Smith

**Hey, guys! Still not entirely back from a HIATUS due to family problems and writer's block, but I had this chapter and a few others written out so I might as well post it and see how you guys like it.**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 13

"C'mon guys, pick up the pace!" Miu called as she and Pocahontas ran, the boys right behind them as they tried to keep up. Sora groaned as he looked at her, sweat dripping from his brow because of the exertion.

"If you guys would slow down, then we could catch up!" he called to them. Miu rolled her eyes as she looked back.

"Look, we don't have time! He's going to be executed at sunrise, and the sun's already rising over the forest! If we don't stop them, then people are going to get killed on both sides!" she exclaimed. The boys were quiet as they ran, before nodding in agreement.

"Okay, we're speeding up!"

-At the border of the Village and the forest-

"Look, I see everyone gathered just ahead!" Sora cried as he ran beside Miu, having caught up to her and Pocahontas. Miu looked off to the side, seeing Ratcliffe and his men as they approached through the trees, a few heartless in front of them as they did so. At this time, Chief Powhatan was standing over John Smith, who was laying on a rock with his arms bound behind him and a rope around his neck. She paled.

"And I see Ratcliffe and his men, too! And they've got John laying on a rock…"

"No! They're about to execute him!" Pocahontas exclaimed, her voice laced with fear. Axel growled before looking at the young woman.

"Run ahead and stop your old man! We'll help, but we've gotta stop Ratcliffe and his men too! Got it memorized?" he called. Pocahontas nodded and ran ahead, pushing through the crowd of village men who had gathered to fight and watch the execution. The Chief took a step forward as he raised a heavy club over his head, preparing to bring it down on John's head.

"No!" Sora called as he and the other pushed through the crowd.

"Stop!" Donald hollered as he tried to move past the million legs that had gathered because of his small size. Goofy covered his eyes, not bearing to watch.

"Gawrsh! I can't watch!" Ratcliffe and his crewmen stopped as well, watching as Chief Powhatan brought it down-

"No!" Pocahontas exclaimed as she rushed in, shielding John's head with her own. The chief immediately pulled back, throwing the head of the club to the ground to stop it from hitting his own daughter. Pocahontas glared up at her father from where she lay, John's head in her arms as he too looked at her in surprise.

"If you kill him, you'll have to kill me too!" she spoke, her voice brave as she stared at her father. Miu was at her side in seconds, standing in front of the two as she glared at him. "Me too!" she proclaimed, her chest puffed out as she braced herself for the chief's wrath. Chief Powhatan looked back and forth between his daughter and her friend, anger etched in his features.

"Daughter, Miu, stand back!" he ordered. But Miu shook her head as well as Pocahontas. They knew that if John Smith were to die, not only would they lose a companion, but war would break out on both sides and people would die.

"I won't!"

"Me either!"

"Us too!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy cried in unison as they joined the two girls, Axel and Demyx flanking them as the group faced the chief on, not once hesitating. Both sides stared at the group in surprise, what were they doing?

"Look around you, this is where the path of hatred leads us!" Pocahontas started as she moved her head, indicating everyone around her as they prepared their weapons for the coming fight. Sora nodded as he took a step forward.

"She's right! If you guys keep going, then people are going to get hurt!" Sora exclaimed. Miu joined Sora as she glared at the two parties surrounding them, disgusted at their intentions.

"And for what? Differences? Greed? People will lose their friends, their family, if this goes on! So grow up! Are we not adults? If we are, then stop acting like children! Sure, we may be different, but is that so bad?" she snapped, her eyes alight as she glared them down. Pocahontas turned to her father, her eyes calm.

"This is the path I choose. What will yours be?" she asked. Axel stood quietly for a moment, before focusing his gaze onto that of the chief's.

"You've got two choices, make peace or die fighting. That's what all of this boils down to, got it memorized?" Axel stated truthfully. Demyx nodded as he took a step forward, so that he stood next to Donald and Goofy.

"Yeah, c'mon. Can't you guys try to make things work out? It'll be easier for the rest of us- Ow!" he started, but stopped when Donald whacked him in the shin with his staff. "You're not helping!" Donald scolded, causing the melodious nocturne to glare at him as Goofy chuckled.

Chief Powhatan stared at the group before him, his expression calm and passive as he took in the sight before him. Ratcliffe's men were ready with their guns raised, while his own men aimed their arrows and pulled back the strings on their bows. After a few tense moments, he made his decision as he raised his club over his head, staring at the group of pale men before him.

"My daughter and her friends speak with the wisdom beyond their years. We've all come here with anger in our hearts, but they've come with courage and understanding." Sora, Pocahontas, Miu, and the others smiled in relief as the chief lowered his club, pressing the head of it to the ground while he griped the butt of it in his hand.

"If there is to be more killing, it will not start with me." he turned to the closest man and pointed to John Smith. "Release him!" the man walked forward and cut the bonds on John's hands, freeing him.

"Whoo-hoo! We did it!" Miu exclaimed as she began jumping up and down, her hands raised as she celebrated. Sora grinned, turning to Donald and Goofy. They smiled back, before tackling him.

"Yeah, we did it!" they rejoiced, the feelings of joy and relief in the air as they celebrated. Pocahontas and John smiled before embracing, causing Demyx to blush a little and Axel to smirk, before it died away into a small frown. Thomas and the other crewmen watched the scene with confused expressions as they lowered their guns, they didn't want to fight?

Ratcliffe looked back and forth between the two sides in anger, his eyes narrowing, before unsheathing his blade as he pointed at them. "Now's our chance! Fire!"

"No." Thomas growled as he put his foot down. Ratcliffe looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"They let him go!"

"They do not want to fight!"

"It's a trick don't you see? Fire!" he exclaimed. But the other men joined Thomas, Ben, and Lon, glaring at Ratcliffe. The man shook his sword at them in anger, before glancing back to where the chief stood. Without a moment's hesitation, he grabbed a gun out of one of the crewmen's hands.

"Fine! I'll settle this myself!" he growled as he aimed. John Smith looked over to where Ratcliffe stood, then looked back to the chief. His eyes widened when he realized what the Governor was planning to do, and leaped forward.

"No!" a gunshot rang out as a bullet lodged itself into John's side. Sora, Miu, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, Axel, Pocahontas, and Chief Powhatan watched in both shock and disbelief as he hit the ground, a hand to his side as blood began to pool from the wound. "John!"

"John!" Thomas exclaimed as Miu and Pocahontas rushed to his aid. Then he turned to Ratcliffe. "You shot him!" Ratcliffe stared at Thomas as the other men began to gather, at first shocked but it quickly turned to pride as he smirked.

"He got in the way! It's his own fault!" he stated. Sora growled as he, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel ran over to where the Governor was standing, prepared to stop him before he did any more harm.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Sora exclaimed as he pointed at the large man. But the man smirked at him, a black aura beginning to emit from his body.

"Oh my boy, you should have just stayed out of this. Now you'll all have to pay, and once I'm through with all of you, that gold will be all mine!" with that something began to lumber through the forest, attracted to the darkness and greed that Ratcliffe held inside his heart. In moments, a large humanoid willow tree lumbered into the clearing, decorated with various heartless insignia's and adorning a fearsome and monstrous face. The crewmen and the villagers, upon seeing the monster, began to panic as they ran back into the woods while other heartless joined the large tree. Miu turned to the chief.

"Chief Powhatan, get your people and the crewmen to safety! Sora, Donald, Goofy, Axel, Demyx, and I will deal with Ratcliffe and his heartless! Hurry!" she commanded. The chief nodded as he and Pocahontas rushed John and the others to safety, leaving Sora and the gang to deal with the heartless boss as it grabbed Ratcliffe and placed him on its branches. Sora and the others summoned their weapons instantly, with Miu drawing her blade as she joined them.

"You guys ready to take this ugly thing down? 'Cuz I'm not fighting with you if you're all just gonna slow me down!" Miu called as she got into position, her eyes becoming hard like when she had fought the heartless hours before. Sora and the others nodded.

"Just don't slow us down!" Sora joked, winking at her. She snorted as she rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, like I'm anything like that!"

"Would you two quit messing around and fight already? It's not like we're in the middle of a game of tag or whatever, we're fighting a heartless that's ten times bigger than us!" Axel retorted, snapping the two out of their competitive mode and focusing them back of Ratciffe and the heartless as they began attacking.

The large heartless began hurtling seeds filled with dark energy and poison at the group while Ratcliffe fired his gun, the group dodging both the bullets and the seeds as they tried to land blows on the monster. Miu worked separately from the group as she danced around the heartless' attacks, giving no regard to the other's safety as she dodged and attacked. Sora cried out as he ducked, barely managing to avoid a bullet that was aimed at him.

"This is insane! We can't get anywhere near the heartless without getting shot. How can we stop them?" he exclaimed. Axel looked at the monster's roots, to Ratcliffe, then back to Sora as an idea popped into his head.

"That's easy, Sora. You just have to do this-" with that he threw his chakrams, getting the heartless at its roots as they caught fire, causing the heartless to cry out as it began to jerk around wildly. Miu smirked as an idea popped into her head before she ran, jumping and grabbing a handful of vines that were connected to the heartless. She quickly began to run, circling the heartless with the vines still in her grasp as Sora joined in, grabbing vines and running counterclockwise from her. Once the heartless was wrapped up enough, they tugged on the vines and the heartless began to lose its balance. Though the girl wasn't keen on working together with the boy and his companions, she wasn't going to let it get in the way of the fight.

"Timber!" she hollered as she got out of the way, Demyx, Donald, and Goofy crying out in surprise as they ran to get out of the toppling heartless' path. Once the heartless fell, the force threw Ratcliffe to the ground as the heartless lay there, defenseless. Demyx waved his hands over to the others as he began hitting it with his sitar.

"C'mon, now's our chance! It's down!" he exclaimed. Within seconds, Donald began hurtling fire spells at it with Axel while the others used their weapons to attack. But after a few minutes, the heartless lashed out, throwing them back as it got to its feet. Like before, it grabbed Ratcliffe and placed him on one of its branches. Everyone quickly regrouped, panting as they glared at the heartless.

"Ah phooey! We almost had him!" Donald growled. Miu grinned as she turned to him, giving him a thumbs up.

"Hey, no worries! We just repeat that a few times, and he'll go down for good. So c'mon, quit standing there and get moving!" with that she ran back in and began taunting the large heartless tree, causing the others to deadpan at her recklessness. But without a moment's hesitation, they followed after her and began the process of knocking it over again.

Like Miu had said, after a few times of repeatedly knocking it down and dealing damage, the heartless was finished as it began to stagger. Ratcliffe, who had fallen on the ground like before, looked up in shock as the heartless toppled over where he was sitting, causing the man to cry out once it fell. The second it fell, it disappeared and a large heart was released, but there was no saving Ratcliffe. The darkness had devoured him, a fitting end to a person as greedy as he. Miu grinned as she began jumping up and down in celebration.

"Whoo hoo! The heartless is gone and the evil has been vanquished! And it's all thanks to Miu, adventurer extraordinaire! …and I guess her sidekicks." she cried happily. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel glared at her as they growled.

"We're not your sidekicks!" they exclaimed, annoyed. She turned to them and puffed her cheeks, before giving them a raspberry.

"Nyah, fine! I don't want to be the leader of a group of dummies, anyways! Scratch that, I don't want to be a part of a group anyways!" she pouted as she turned away, arms crossed. Axel rolled his eyes before looking to where the villagers and the crewmen had gathered, surrounding someone. Then he remembered.

"Guys, let's go and see how John's doing. He got shot, didn't he?" he called as he turned to them. Sora gasp, remembering that Ratcliffe had shot John Smith before the large heartless showed up.

"Oh yeah! C'mon!" Without a moment's hesitation, they ran over to where everyone was gathered, the large group parting so they could reach Pocahontas and the Chief as they stood over a barely conscious John Smith. Miu knelt over as she began to examine the wound, her eyes narrowing the more she examined it. With a frustrated sigh, she looked to one of the crewmen.

"You guys got any bandages? We need to bind his wound to stop the bleeding and prevent any infection." they nodded as one of them ran off to where the supplies were at, before she turned her attention back to the wound. Demyx and Donald took a step forward, cure spells at the ready.

"Can we use cure on him? Will it seal the wound?" Demyx asked. She was silent before sighing, shaking her head.

"No, we can't use cure because there's shards of the bullet still in his side, as well as the bullet itself. It could cause life-threatening problems later if we heal it with the bullet and fragments still inside him. I could try to get it out, but he could also die from blood loss since I don't have the proper tools." she explained as she placed her hand against the wound, adding pressure so she could try to stop the bleeding. Pocahontas looked at her, devastated.

"Then there is no way to save him?" she asked. The girl was quiet for a few moments, before shrugging her shoulders.

"I can't say. Your people don't have the means to save him, but as for his people…" she turned back to the crewmen as one walked over, carrying the bandages she asked for. "Do you guys have doctors and medicine back where you came from? It's a long shot, but I think if you guys can get him back in time, it might be enough to save him."

"Yes, I believe you're right. The doctors back in England have the supplies you're talking about, and might be able to get the bullet out of John." Thomas answered as she began to bind the wound. She nodded as Sora turned to him.

"Then you guys better get him back. There's no time to lose."

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><p><strong>So, what'd you guys think? I suck as usual on the fight scene with Ratcliffe, but oh well. Anyways, please read and review!<strong>


	14. Goodbye, John Smith

**Hey guys, sorry for not updating for so long. A lot of stuff's been going on over the summer, so I had to put down this story to work on so I could get all of that sorted out. Hopefully I'll get back to updating this series like I used to. Also, I've recently gone and redid some stuff in the earlier chapters so you might want to re-read it all. Just in case.**

**So enjoy!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 14

Everyone watched as the crewmen prepared the ship to set sail, taking them and John Smith back to England. Thomas, who decided to stay behind and make a settlement using the fort, turned as the natives approached with offerings of food and medicinal herbs. Sora and the others stood off to the side, watching as the small boat that would take John Smith and some of the crewmen to the ship prepared to sail off to join the large ship.

"I wish…I wish there was something we could've done." Sora spoke morosely as he watched John Smith and Pocahontas bid their farewells to each other. Donald and Goofy sighed as well, feeling nothing but helplessness.

"Gawrsh, I know how ya feel Sora." Goofy agreed as he bowed his head. Axel was quiet as he leaned against a tree, his arms crossed. With a frustrated sigh, he looked at them.

"You guys can't always save everyone, no matter how much you want to. Sometimes…things happen for a reason, like this." he explained, his voice somewhat cold at the harsh reality that faced them. Demyx nodded as he looked at the couple.

"Yeah, it sucks but it's the truth. The best thing you guys can do is to make sure stuff like this doesn't happen to anyone else." he added sympathetically. The boys nodded solemnly in understanding, but they were still upset that John was forced to return to England or face an untimely death.

"Hey, John." all heads shot up as Miu approached, arms crossed with a scowl on her face, something out of character for the hyperactive girl. The blonde-haired man stared at her from his make-shift stretcher, eyebrow raised at what she had to stay. She stared at him levelly for a few moments, before speaking.

"You take care of yourself, okay? And you better come back and visit these guys once you're all better, you've got a great girlfriend and father-in-law waiting for you here. And if you don't, so help me I'll break your legs and annoy the heck out of you until you die! First I'll break your arms, then your legs, make sure to castrate you, break at least a couple of ribs-" she started, pouting as she placed her hands on her hips and continued to talk. Everyone stared at her with wide eyes as she continued listing all of the terrible things she would do to him if he didn't keep his end of the bargain, surprised at such violence coming from her. He quickly and weakly held up his arms in defense, trying to fight back a shudder of fear at the thought of her harming him in such a way.

"Oh, don't worry Miu, I will. Just as soon as I get better." John Smith assured her, trying not to smile uneasily at her words. She stopped at this, before smirking as she crossed her arms.

"Good! I'll hold you to your promise. And remember, you break it and I'll break your arms, then your legs, castrate you, break your ribs, and do everything awful to you until you're six feet under." she grinned, giggling as she did so. The man shuddered at this but smiled amusingly before turning to Sora and the others.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, Axel; thank you. Without your help, things could've gotten a lot worse." Sora grinned as he held his arms behind his head, a bit bashful as he did so.

"No problem, it's what we do. You just take care of yourself, okay? So Miu doesn't have to carry out her threat." the boy grinned, laughing a little uneasily as the auburn-haired girl glared at him. The man nodded and with that, he was lowered into the boat and within moments it was in the water. They gave him one final farewell as his small boat floated across the water to join its bigger companion. Once it reached the ship, Chief Powhatan turned to them.

"I wish to thank you as well. If you had not helped my daughter, war would have broken out and many of my brothers would have perished. So I thank you, brave travelers." the chief spoke gratefully as he gave a small bow. Sora thumbed his nose and looked away, embarrassed.

"Aw, it wasn't anything, really. We just like helping people out." Donald and Goofy nodded in agreement.

"Yeah!"

"We sure do, A-Hyuck!" Chief Powhatan smiled at this as he stared at them. These travelers were good, giving him hope for future visitors to this land and the future residents that were sure to arrive in pursuit of the Virginia company.

"If more people come here from distant lands, I hope they are as kind and brave as you, so that peace may thrive among our people." he commented, making the three blush a little in embarrassment. Axel rolled his eyes at their modesty, before approaching the chief.

"Hey, can we ask you a few questions? Have you seen any strange-looking indentations, or seen a girl with white hair or a guy with tan skin and silver hair around here?" the chief looked at him, eyebrow raised, before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, but none fitting those descriptions have come through here, and we haven't seen any strange indentations." the pyro nodded before Sora turned to him, confused.

"Huh? What kind of indentation are you talking about?" at this the man scowled, crossing his arms as he stared at the boy like a teacher ready to scold their student.

"Sora, we're supposed to be looking for the keyhole that leads to the soul of the world, remember?" he reminded the boy, causing him to cock his head to the side before he remembered the other part of their mission. At this Miu walked over, having overhead their conversation.

"The keyhole? Why are you guys looking for a keyhole? So you can seal it with your keyblade? Oh wait, maybe you want to make sure it's safe! Am I right? Huh?" she asked curiously, her eyes blinking as she stared at them. The boys looked to each other uneasily, before looking back to her.

"Well…Master Yen Sid said that we should seal the world's souls using the keyholes. He said it was important, but he really didn't say why." Sora explained, holding his arms behind his head as he stared at her. The girl was silent for a moment, before she blinked at them like they had grown two heads.

"You mean you don't know? If the world's soul is taken, then within days the world dies, and so does everyone and every living thing on it. It's not anything like if the heart is stolen, the world just fades into darkness and the inhabitants either get thrown to other worlds or are devoured by the darkness, too." they blinked at her, their eyes wide, as she continued.

"There's a chance to get the world back, but if the soul is taken, there's no bringing the world back." she explained as she shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, uneasy at the thought of the worlds dying. The boys gasped in alarm, surprised at the outcome.

"Then we better find this keyhole, and pronto! We can't let that happen!" Donald proclaimed. Everyone nodded, before Miu sighed as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, but where do we start looking? There's a million places where it could-" but she stopped, seeing a white silhouette beyond the group's shoulders, making them blink at her in confusion. Sora cocked his head to the side, watching as her eyes widened.

"Huh? What's wrong-" He started, but stopped the moment he turned. For a few feet away, there stood a familiar white-haired woman who wore an elegant silver yukata with a white obi, surrounded by a white aura. The villagers and the remaining crewmen gasped in surprise as they took a few steps back, not sure whether this person was human or not. Axel and Miu were the most surprised as they stared at the woman's translucent appearance. The pyro took a few steps forward, his hand outstretched to her.

"K…Kyrie…?" the woman turned to them, smiling a soft smile as she began her approach, ghosting over the ground as if she weren't walking at all. The villagers and the crewmen cried out in surprise, moving closer to the forest edge in an effort to get away from the ghostly apparition. The woman continued moving until she stopped in front of Miu, making the girl stumble in surprise and fall on her behind as she stared at the woman in shock and surprise.

"_What is she? __**Who**__ is she? And why…do I feel like…I know her?" _the girl thought as she stared at her ghostly appearance, not sure what to make of her. She felt an unknown feeling welling inside her chest as she and the woman stared at each other, not once averting their gazes. After a few moments, the woman tore her gaze away to stare at Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel.

"Ah, it has been a while, young ones. This one is pleased to be able to grace your presence once again." she stated as she bowed gracefully, much to the surprise of the group. Sora took a step forward, shock clear on his features.

"You're…the woman who helped us defeat Xemnas!" he exclaimed as he pointed at her. She nodded, a small frown replacing the smile she had on moments ago. At this Axel stepped forward in front of the boy, his fists clenched.

"Why are you here? Where's Kyrie?" he growled as he glared at the woman. He knew that the last time they had seen her, she had used Kyrie's body to manifest herself. But that didn't explain how she was here now, with no physical body. The woman stared at him solemnly as a soft sigh left her lips.

"This one is here because you wish to find the keyhole, something only this one and one other know the location of." a small ball of light began forming on her palm, before it shot out and hovered a few feet away from Sora and the others. They jumped back in surprise, before she smiled at them. "Follow this light, it shall lead you to where the keyhole is."

"Really? Thanks!" Sora said gratefully as he turned his attention to the woman. She nodded, before looking to the girl behind her. With swift and graceful movements, she knelt down in front of Miu, before grasping one of her hands in her own.

"Child, this one wishes for you to accompany Sora and his companions. Master Xehanort is not aware of this yet, but he'll need you to accomplish his goal. For both your safety, and the safety of the sleeping heart of Ventus, you must go with them." the woman spoke, her voice grave as she stared at the girl while her silver eyes glimmered slightly. Miu stared at her, for once speechless. Without waiting for her answer, the woman got to her feet and turned her attention back to the group, as her already translucent body began to disappear.

"It is time that this one bids you all farewell. But do not fear, we will meet once again in a time of need." her appearance faltered for a second, causing everyone to gasp.

"Kyrie?" everyone exclaimed in surprise as they jumped back. Kyrie smiled sadly at them, her eyes soft and full of a deep sadness as she stared at them. She took a few steps forward, before reaching out her disappearing hand and lightly cupping Axel's cheek as he stared at her in shock.

"And don't worry, everything's going to be okay. I won't let Xehanort win. Goodbye, Axel." she smiled softly as a few tears fell down her cheeks and with that, she disappeared into thin air. Everyone was completely silent before the villagers began talking amongst themselves, then Chief Powhatan and Pocahontas approached them.

"Who was that?" the young woman asked as she stared at the spot where the mysterious woman had been standing moments before. The group was silent, but before they could answer her, the ball of light began to move in the direction of the forest. Sora gasped and started to go after it.

"We'll explain it later! C'mon, or we'll lose it!" he called. The other boys followed right after him, leaving Miu, the Chief, and Pocahontas standing there. The two young women turned to each other, before following after the boys.

"Bye, Chief Powhatan! This might be the last time I see you for now, but I promise to come back soon!" Miu called behind her as she and Pocahontas ran after them. The chief smiled as he waved his arm in farewell.

"Farewell, and good luck brave travelers."

-Forest-

The boys and two women chased the ball of light as it soared through the forest, moving past the trees and bushes with an amazing speed while it zigzagged back and forth.

"Geez, is this thing fast!" Demyx complained as he moved a tree branch out of his way. Everyone was in full agreement with his words; they hadn't expected the small ball of light to move to quickly.

"_But where that light goes, the keyhole's sure to be there." _Axel thought as he moved through the underbrush. The group pushed through the branches and bushes that blocked their way, until they got to Grandmother Willow's clearing. The ball of light hovered in the center of the clearing for a moment, before circling it. The group stopped at the center, watching the ball as it circled around them.

"Why's it doing that?" Donald asked as he cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms as he did so. Goofy shrugged his shoulders as he watched the light move.

"I dunno, Donald. Maybe it's lost." he suggested, smiling like a dope. Sora, Axel, and Demyx face-palmed at this but Miu watched the small light silently, almost pensive.

"_It's like…the light is waiting for something. But what? What's it waiting for?" _she thought as she watched it move. Instinct told her to move, but her body told her to stay where she was. Without a word she took a step forward, and the light stopped moving and hovered a few feet away from Grandmother Willow. Without warning, it shot forward, stopping just a few inches away from the girl. She gasped loudly, jumping back, but it only followed her.

"**It's okay, there's nothing to be scared of. Don't hesitate, reach out." **a voice soothed, making her relax. Instinctively she raised her arms, holding them a few inches apart like she was about to cradle the ball in her hands. But the light grew bigger, almost obscuring her, before she felt two hands take hers. Looking in front of her she realized that another girl stood in front of her, she had white hair that covered the right side of her face and brown eyes; she wore nothing but white. Looking back, she realized that Sora and the others had their eyes covered, the light too strong for them.

Turning back to the girl, she was about to ask what was going on and who she was, before it dawned on her. **This** was the girl that she had met not once but twice, the girl who was in the photograph with Axel and who stood in the clearing mere minutes before as she disappeared. **This** was Kyrie, the girl they were searching for. All thoughts leaving her mind, Miu felt her eyes close on their own as an unknown feeling washed over her, before she felt the girl's forehead press against hers.

"_World, reveal your keyhole to us. Let us soothe your wounded soul, let us erase the scars that mar it. Allow us to heal the hurt that has been caused." _Miu and the girl said together, as if on pure impulse. With that the girl disappeared and the light shot out, wrapping around Grandmother Willow as if it were a veil. Sora and the others finally uncovered their eyes and watched in amazement as another light began to emanate from Grandmother Willow, a keyhole forming in the center of her trunk.

"Sora, the keyhole!" Donald exclaimed. The boy nodded as he summoned his keyblade, before pointing it at the tree.

"All right, here goes nothing!" with that, a light shot out of the keyblade, piercing the indentation as the sound of a lock locking echoed throughout the clearing. With that the light and keyhole disappeared, leaving the group amazed and perplexed as they turned to Miu, who was staring at her hands blankly.

"Wow…how did you do that, Miu?" Demyx asked. The girl was strangely quiet for a moment before turning to them, a goofy grin on her face.

"That was so cool…I wanna do it again! It was so surreal, like I was in a dream! But it wasn't a dream, it was real and it was so cool!" she exclaimed giddily, not really answering the nocturne's question as she turned her attention back to her hands. The group deadpanned at her hyperactivity, before Pocahontas stepped forward.

"What happened? What was that strange light?" she questioned. Sora turned to her as he thumbed his nose, a small frown on his face.

"It means we have to get going. Things are safe now, so there's nothing to worry about."

"You must go? I see. Then I wish you a safe journey, and I hope that you find your friend." the young woman spoke, biding them farewell. The others nodded as they began to wave.

"You guys take care, too. And tell your dad we said goodbye, okay?" the boy added. But before anyone could move, another voice spoke up.

"Now just a minute, young man." all eyes turned to Grandmother Willow as her face appeared on her trunk, smiling as she stared at them. Sora blinked. "Yeah?"

"This journey you're all about to start is going to be a hard and life-altering one. Finding your friend, saving those in despair, repairing all the damage that has been done to the worlds…all of these things are tied together by fate. To complete this journey, you must let the spirits guide you, and you must listen to your heart." Donald blinked at this as he took a step forward.

"Listen…to our hearts?" he questioned. Grandmother Willow nodded as she continued.

"Yes, that is the most important thing. Your hearts, when the time comes that you are lost and in need of guidance, will tell you what you must do and where you must go. Your hearts will lead you to the path you must follow, the right path to take. So good luck, young ones, and I hope that you find your friend." with that her face disappeared, leaving the group silent as they pondered her words. After a few moments Demyx scratched his head, confused since he was a nobody and had no such guidance.

"She sure is strange, isn't she?" Pocahontas smile and nodded, before turning to Miu. "Will you be going with them, too?"

"Nope!" Miu chirped, smiling from ear-to-ear as she stared at the woman. Axel and the others turned to her, scowls on their faces. Sora was the first to approach her as she stood there, hands behind her back.

"Please, Miu? Can't you come with us, we really need you!" the boy begged, giving her the puppy eyes. Unfazed by the boy's pleas, the girl turned and crossed her arms as she averted her gaze.

"Look, I don't do teamwork and I think you'll be better off finding someone who does. Besides, I'm searching for someone and I can't waste my time looking for your friend too. I also have to train to become strong, find an arch-nemesis, become a real hero, and a lot of other things too!" at this, Goofy stepped forward.

"Well we can look for your friend and do all those things, too! If ya come with us, we're sure to find them on another world, and it helps lots when you have more than one person lookin'!" the bipedal dog suggested. Miu was silent as she stood there, her arms crossed. She really didn't want to travel around in a group, but the dog's words made sense. And something else was bothering her.

"**Child, this one wishes for you to accompany Sora and his companions. Master Xehanort is not aware of this yet, but he'll need you to accomplish his goal. For both your safety, and the safety of the sleeping heart of Ventus, you must go with them." **

"_What did she mean and who was she? Maybe if we see her again, I can ask her. Maybe she would even know where __**he**__ is, so that I can find him and we'd be together again like before." _after a few moments, she sighed as her shoulders slumped.

"All right…I'll go with you. But don't expect me to save your butts! You guys get in a snare, you're on your own!"

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><p><strong>Ooooh...who's Miu's searching for? Will she ever accept Sora and the gang as a team? Will I ever get off my lazy ass and update this every other day? Who knows!<strong>

**Anyways, enjoy!**


	15. Remembering Isa

**Hey, guys! K-chan here!**

**Axel: About friggin' time! It's been MONTHS since you last updated!**

**Me: Ugh, I know, I KNOW! Jeez, give me a sec to explain things, would ya?**

**Axel: Fine, fine.**

**Me: Anyways...sorry for not updating like I promised. Things are pretty stressful and for some reason I'm having a hard time getting back into Kingdom Hearts, probably because I have yet to play KH: 3D and only know stuff about it thanks to trailers. But thankfully this Christmas I'm getting the game so hopefully I can get back into writing this fic. There's just so MANY ideas but writing them down is proving more difficult than it should.**

**Sora: You...left the fandom? But I thought you loved us! **

**Me: Aw, don't worry Sora! It's just a funk! Anyways...enjoy this new chapter!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 15

All was quiet as I hovered in the darkness, not really sure where I was. I remembered falling asleep in my cell, but the rest…was all a huge blur. How did I get here?

"_Then we better find this keyhole, and pronto! We can't let that happen!" _wait…was that Donald's voice?!

"_Yeah, but where do we start looking? There's a million places where it could-" _suddenly the darkness was bathed in light, and I found myself standing on a rocky shore. Tall trees towered over me from where they stood mere feet away, and I realized I was standing in a forest clearing that led to the ocean. I looked up and nearly gasped in surprise, I could see Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel as they talked with someone, their backs to me. I wanted to run forward and hug them, but I felt a force start to move in, forcing me down and taking control of my body away from me.

"**This is not your body. Don't worry, this one will allow you to say a few words to them before we go back." **I growled at this and shook my head. I recognized this familiar voice, but why was **she** doing this to me? Why wouldn't **she** let me talk to them, tell them that I was all right?

"**No! Let me go! Please!" **I exclaimed as I struggled to regain control from her, but she was much stronger than me. I was simply pushed aside, still able to see what was going on but not being able to do or say anything of my own free will. I watched as Sora scratched his head, confused by something.

"_Huh? What's wrong-" _with that he and the others turned, before their eyes widened. I decided to look down as well, and almost screamed in surprise. My body was see-though!

"**The term is translucent, and it is normal since our real body is still being held captive within that cell. The only reason we are here now is because of our bond with them." **the familiar voice told me. I was silent and watched as more people began to gather, men with milky-white skin and others with skin like copper.

"_K…Kyrie…?" _with that my body began to move on its own, startling me somewhat since I couldn't feel the ground beneath my feet. We kept walking until we stopped in front of a girl, no more than sixteen, as she stumbled and landed on her behind. She stared at us with wide, cyan eyes, and I gasped. I recognized this girl!

"**M-Miu…?" **I asked as I tried to reach my hand out to her, but my body wouldn't respond. She just continued to stare at me, until I turned and looked at Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel. At this I turned away, she wasn't going to let me speak to them so what was the point?

I ignored most of the conversation, before I felt a small tug from her, pulling me back in control.

"**This one is not so cruel that I wouldn't give you time to speak to your friends. But we must be quick, we have to revert to our other form and lead the way for them." **I nodded as I stepped back in control, the feeling of having my body and limbs back washing over me like a wave.

"_Kyrie?" _I heard everyone gasp as they jumped back in surprise. I gave them a small, sad smile before walking towards Axel, who was staring at me with wide eyes. I slowly reached out, placing my fading hand against his cheek and stroking my thumb over his smooth skin.

I wanted to do so much more, I wanted to hug him, kiss him, just feel him in my arms again as I nuzzled my face into his clothes. But I couldn't and that hurt so…so much. I missed him more than anything, but…I had to tell him that everything was okay. I didn't want him to get hurt by Xehanort, Vanitas, Ansem, or Xemnas. If he came after me…they could hurt him, and I wanted him safe more than anything else. Even my freedom.

"_**And don't worry, everything's going to be okay. I won't let Xehanort win. Goodbye, Axel." **_I told him, trying to ease his fears. I could see the feelings he hid in his eyes, he felt the same way. But there was more to it, he looked almost devastated, like he had come so close to having me back but I had fallen out of his reach.

With that, the rest of my body disappeared and transferred over to this small ball of light which hovered a few feet away. With my perspective changed, I felt myself flying through the forest, passing through everything and moving back and forth to avoid trees and other foliage.

After a few minutes I was in another clearing, but I was still flying around, this time in circles. I was circling an old willow tree that was surrounded by a small pond and I felt the force come back again, like she was trying to take back control.

"**No, we will both be in control." **she murmured, and this time…I felt something totally different. I felt like the both of us were in control, but at the same time we weren't. It was like we had been tossed into a mixer and were being mixed together. I could see some of her memories: her feelings…and she could feel mine.

Once Sora and the others entered the clearing we changed course, heading right towards Miu as the girl jumped back in surprise. But the other voice called out to her.

"**It's okay, there's nothing to be scared of. Don't hesitate, reach out." **With that she reached out to us, before an enormous light wrapped around us. This time I was manifested in my body as I reached out and took her hands in my own, both the force and I having control of our body. I watched as her eyes closed before mine closed as well.

"_World, reveal your keyhole to us. Let us soothe your wounded soul, let us erase the scars that mar it. Allow us to heal the hurt that has been caused." _We spoke together, almost like a chant. After that, everything just melted away and I found myself falling once more into the darkness.

-Outside of Dreamscape-

"Ah-!" Kyrie cried as she sat up, panting heavily as cold sweat fell from her temples. She panted for a few minutes before calming down, placing a hand over her heart as she looked around the room. She was still in her cell, making her groan a little as she relaxed slightly. She was relieved, but heartbroken at the same time.

"Damn, I'm still here." she sighed softly, really hoping that all of this was just some crazy dream and that she had been at home all along, with Axel sleeping soundly beside her and Demyx and Xigbar arguing from downstairs like always. But it wasn't a dream, it was all too real. She gave a small, pained moan as she slumped, feeling both weak and depressed at her situation.

"Ah, it appears that you're awake. It's been a long time, princess." a familiar voice spoke, causing her to gasp in surprise. She hadn't heard this voice in over a year, it couldn't be-

"Saix?!" she exclaimed as she sat up, spotting the lunar diviner as he stood outside her prison cell. He looked the exact same as he did then, the same yellow eyes, long azure hair, and same X-shaped scar on his face as he stood there in the same clothes he wore when he was destroyed. He stared at her calmly for a few moments, before shaking his head.

"It appears that you still don't remember. A pity. No, my name is no longer Saix since I now have reclaimed my heart." he spoke, causing her to blink in confusion. So he wasn't Saix? Then who was he?

"So who are you?" she asked as she got to her feet, staggering a little as she approached her cell doors. "Are you a copy of him?" the man smirked a little at her words, like they were amusing to him. But then he shook his head.

"No, I was Saix, but now I can go by my true name since I am whole once more. Now try again, do you remember two boys from your childhood? One had red hair and was named Lea, and the other had blue hair. What was his name?" he questioned as he stood there, making no move to approach her. She was silent as she stood there, Lea? She remembered hearing that name before…but where?

_"Hey, princess!"_

_"Lea, Isa! Hello!"_

_"Where're you going? Wanna play Frisbee with me?" _

_"Sorry, but I have to find Braig. Grandpa needs him."_

_"Okay. But come find us later and we'll play a game or something, okay?"_

She gasped as the memories from the dreams came back to her. Isa! She immediately looked up at the man, her eyes wide.

"Isa?!" she gasped, wanting to reach out and touch his face to be sure that it was truly the Isa from her dreams. But without warning her head throbbed painfully, causing her to cry out at the pain as she clenched her temples.

"Gah!" she exclaimed as she staggered, falling against the wall and slumping to the floor as the pain increased. Suddenly memories began to flood into her mind, memories of her, Lea, and Isa.

She remembered all the times they played together, how Lea and Isa often babysat her when none of the guards or the apprentices had time to, when they often took her out for Sea-Salt ice cream, and taught her how to play Frisbee and other games. She stared at the space in front of her with blank eyes as all of the memories of the two returned to her, and within a few moments, the pain disappeared.

Isa, who had been watching her from where he was standing, smirked at the recognition in her eyes as she turned to him. "It seems that you remember now, yes?"

"W-why…Isa?" she panted as she stared at him, her vision blurry as she held her head with one hand. She was dazed and disoriented at the return of her memories and the revelation, but was still coherent enough to ask why. The man raised his eyebrow at her. "Why what?"

"Why are you…doing this? Why are you…working for Xehanort? The Isa I knew-"

"The Isa you knew is long gone, faded away along with all of the useless feelings and memories that you once possessed. I am now a vessel for Master Xehanort, and will not let you or anyone else stand in his way." he shot back coldly, cutting her off. But she wouldn't give up as she grabbed the bars, only to cry out in pain as they shocked her.

"Is that why you were such an ass back when I was in the organization? Back when you were Saix?!" she demanded, her voice harsh like a growl as she glared at the man she had known since childhood. He was silent as he stared at her, before shaking his head.

"No, at that time I had no memories of you. When I was Saix, some of my old memories were lost to me, including memories of you my princess. That was the same for all of the other organization members who you knew back then." she raised her eyebrows at this.

"Other organization members? You mean-"

"Yes, there were others in the organization who came from Radiant Garden, including myself." he spoke, cutting her off. She was silent as he continued, wanting to know more of her past if she could. "The organization members were Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, myself, and Axel." her eyes widened at this.

"Axel?!" she gasped. He nodded, watching as she took all of the information in. With that he opened her cell doors and began to walk towards her, summoning his claymore as he did so. At this she backed against the wall, the memories of Saix and Xemnas' cruelty from two years ago coming back to her.

"Aw, it's no fair one of our cronies gets to have all the fun. I wanted to smack her around first!" a voice mocked, catching their attention. Their gazes shot back towards the cell doors, where Vanitas, Xehanort, Ansem-Xehanort, and Xemnas stood. Seven other figures in cloaks stood behind them, but they remained silent as they all stared at the girl, making her shiver in uneasiness. But what caught her eye the most was that Vanitas was now looking nothing like Xehanort, while a young boy who resembled Xemnas and Ansem-Xehanort stood beside him, both staring at her with amber eyes. She blinked at this, confused. Who was he?

Isa growled a little under his breath as he turned to them.

"What was that, boy?" he growled, glaring at Vanitas. The boy shrugged his shoulders before Ansem-Xehanort placed a hand on one of them, giving him a glare.

"Pay no mind to him. You may continue, Isa." the man nodded as he turned his attention back to the girl, brandishing his claymore. She trembled slightly at this, causing Xemnas to smirk at her fear.

"Does it feel familiar to you, young Kyrie? It should, for he is about to repeat his actions that happened over a year ago, though this time he might not be so merciful." he spoke, smirking. But before he could continue, Xehanort held his hand up, stopping him.

"You can avoid all this nonsense, girl. All you have to do is allow us to use you however we see fit." she watched with narrow eyes as his appearance faltered, revealing his younger form, before it changed back.

"You know as well as I that only you and your counterpart can open the door to Kingdom Hearts, and for that we need you alive. But I will not guarantee you to be in perfect health unless you do as we command. What…will you choose?" She growled at them and got to her feet, summoning her keyblades as she did so. Vanitas smirked as he stared at the girl, knowing exactly what her answer was going to be.

"You…can take that offer…and go to hell!" she spat, the aura around her becoming more dark as her eyes turned red. Isa growled at her venomous words and lashed out, slapping her across the cheek and sending her into the wall. She yelped in pain at this, but was quick to get back on her feet as she stared at the man head-on. But Isa was quick to grab her hair and slam her back against the wall, forcing her to drop her keyblades as he slammed his fist into her gut. Xehanort smirked from where he stood, amused by her stubbornness. But what got the older man the most was her irises, which were bright red instead of their normal brown.

"_It seems…that my darkness had not been erased like I had thought. This…is most interesting." _he thought as he stared at her, before snapping his fingers. This caught Isa's attention as he turned to him. "Yes, Master Xehanort?"

"Be sure to not kill her, Isa. We still need her if we're going to take Kingdom Hearts…" and after that, the only thing that could be heard was the sound of beatings and sharp cries of pain.

-Meanwhile, Sora and the others-

"All right, that's everything!" Miu beamed as she picked up her pack, having just packed up her camp that she had been staying in for some time. After saying farewell to Pocahontas and the villagers, the gang followed Miu to her camp where she began packing up her sleeping bag and other necessities. Sora sighed in relief as he stretched, having helped the girl despite her reluctance to accept it.

"We're done? Finally!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. But his excitement quickly died away as the girl began walking off, confusing him. Where was she going?

"Hey, where're you going? The Gummi ship's this way!" he added, running over and taking the girl's hand. She blinked at him in confusion.

"Huh? But my Gummi ship's this way! There's no way I'm going to leave it behind in order to hang out with you yahoos! It's too special for that." she exclaimed, glaring at the group as she turned to them and placed her hands on her hips. They blinked at this, **her** Gummi ship?

"You have a Gummi ship, too?" Donald asked as he cocked his head to the side, confused. She nodded with a grin, throwing her arms into the air as she began her explanation.

"Uh-huh! My Gummi ship is the fastest one around, and it's really strong! It can take out ten enemy ships in a minute! Like this one time-" she exclaimed as she began talking about how it saved her on numerous occasions. Axel and Demyx deadpanned at this, there was no way she had a Gummi ship that was that strong. She was probably exaggerating. Sora, on the other hand, bought into her story and was staring at her in awe.

"Really? Can we see it?" he asked excitedly, grinning like a kid as he did so. She was silent for a minute, before shrugging. If she was going to be traveling with these guys, she might as well show them her Gummi ship and then later synchronize them so they could keep in touch in times of separation. Besides, she liked seeing the expression on his face, it made her feel proud that she had such a Gummi ship.

"I guess, but you better not touch it! And if you do…I'll beat the daylights out of you and tie you to its wing! And if that doesn't work, then I'll just have to throw you overboard like a pirate does to a traitorous crew!" she warned, causing the boys to wince at her threat. With that she turned and continued on, with the group close behind. Once they got to a clearing that was a good few miles away from the village, they gasped at what they saw.

A large black and red Gummi ship stood in the middle of the clearing, more pointed and angular than their Gummi ship. It had purple stripes where their yellow ones would be, and it had missile launchers on the bottom of the wings as well as under the ship itself. Miu smiled as she stepped forward and opened the hatch, throwing her things inside.

"Well, this is it. My beautiful Ebony Falcon, one of the fastest Gummi ships around and built for taking down a fleet of enemy ships within minutes!" she exclaimed as she turned, grinning with pride as she patted the exterior of her ship. Sora, Donald, and Goofy gaped in awe while Demyx whistled.

"Wow, it can do all of that?" he asked. She nodded. "Yup, it sure can! Of course, a crime fighter like myself needs a fast and powerful ship in order to take down the bad guys and save the day." she gloated, puffing out her well-endowed chest as she continued to brag about her ship. Axel deadpanned at her before stepping forward and examining the ship.

"So, how many people can it fit in it?" he asked as he examined it. She was silent as she tapped her chin, pondering his question. "Oh… about five people or so." without further ado, he opened the door and went inside, causing her to gasp in surprise as she ran in after him.

"Hey! You can't come in my ship without permission, you red-headed fiend! If you don't come out in five seconds, then I'll be forced to beat the ever-living daylights out of you!" she exclaimed as Sora and the others followed in after them, looking around the inside of the ship. The interior didn't look any different from their ship's, except for the girly cooking materials in the kitchen and the various girl items in the bunkroom. Axel turned and gave her a steady glare, causing her to puff out her cheeks in anger.

"Look, Sora's Gummi ship is getting a bit too crowded, so me and Dem need a place to travel around in. Since you're traveling with us, it's only fair that you let me and Demyx stay with you in this ship. Got it memorized?" he explained as he pointed to his temple, emphasizing his point. Goofy was silent as he placed his hand against his chin, thinking about Axel's words.

"Gawrsh, the ship has been getting a little crowded lately. Why, when Riku, Kairi, an' the king were with us, there was hardly any room to move!" he added. Miu was silent as she stared at the five boys in front of her, not at all liking that they were forcing her to let the pyro and the water mage stay on her ship.

"_Oh well…I did say that I was going to come along, and true heroes never break their promises." _with that she sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"Oh, fine! But you touch anything on my ship that's mine and I will personally make your funeral arrangements, via my sword up your butts!" Demyx, Sora, Donald, and Goofy visibly flinched at this while Axel rolled his eyes. But the boy was quick to nod as he straightened up.

"Okay, okay! We promise they won't touch anything on your ship! So are we good?" Sora exclaimed as he held his hand out. She was silent as she stared at his hand, before smirking and grasping it with her own.

"Okay, deal."

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><p><strong>Yeah, not much exciting things happening in this chapter than the last one. But we get a glimpse of what's going on with Kyrie, and the fact that she's slowly regaining her memories!<strong>

**Miu: And we get to see my Gummi ship! It's so awesome and fast! Like, this one time we were surrounded by ten heartless ships and so we-**

**Axel: *covers Miu's mouth to silence her* Okay, okay! We get it! Now shut up!**

**Me: ...Anyways...please review! (even though it's been awhile...)**


	16. Back at Olympus

**...I know I should be saying sorry and that I'll promise to update more, but that'll probably be a lie and I don't like lying. ANYWAYS, here's an update of my life and why it keeps getting in the way and giving me writer's blocks for this story. Things are starting to calm down, and I've actually written this story up to chapter 21, which is awesome. I also got Kingdom Hearts: 3D.**** Anyways...enjoy!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

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><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 16

"Wow! We can communicate between ships, now!" Sora exclaimed as he popped up on the screen of Miu's ship. The girl nodded as she manned the controls, pressing a few buttons so he could have a visual on her as well. Currently they were in their Gummi ships, cruising inside the Lanes Between, as they thought about which world they should explore next.

"Yeah, those little chipmunks sure know what they're doing. And they were so cute! I haven't seen anything as cute as them since the time I went to Wonderland, and even then, nothing compared to how cute they were! I may be a bit of a tomboy but-"

"Uh, Miu? Focus!" Demyx spoke as he tapped her shoulder, causing her to cry out in surprise as she jumped and fell out of her chair. She quickly got to her feet and turned and glared at the water mage, her hair antennae sticking straight up in anger as she glared at him.

"Don't do that, you dummy!" she growled, causing him to shrink back slightly in fear. With that she turned her attention to Sora, who wore a deadpanned expression after watching the two on his screen. "So, which world should we go to next? I think we should go to the closest ones, and then fly out to the farther ones!"

"Well…actually we were thinking of going back to Master Yen Sid's since we found you, but we still need to look for Kyrie too and seal the world's keyholes. So we'll go with your idea." she nodded as she began setting the coordinates. Axel, who had been sitting in a chair that was a few feet behind the girl, rolled his eyes as he got up.

"So, what's the closest world to this one?" he asked as he looked at the screen. At this Donald shoved Sora out of the way of the screen and began looking over the map in his ship.

"Well, the closest one is Olympus Coliseum. That's where Herc is!" at this, Sora and Goofy got on top of him, grinning as they stared at the map.

"We're going to see Herc again? Yes!"

"Gawrsh, maybe Hercules'll know something. Like where that Master Xehanort feller is, or maybe where Kyrie is!" Goofy added, his usual goofy smile on his face. Miu gasped almost instantly at this as she pressed her face to the screen, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Wait, you guys know Hercules? **The** Hercules?!" they nodded, causing the girl to squeal in excitement as she began jumping up and down in her seat.

"Oh my god, oh my god! I've always wanted to meet **the** Hercules, one of the most famous heroes of all time! I mean, I've been to Olympus Coliseum before and watched every match he was in while I was there, but I never met him face-to-face." she cried, continuing to jump up and down in her seat in excitement, her expression giddy. Axel rolled his eyes at her excitement while Sora, Donald, Demyx, and Goofy just laughed at her animated expression.

"All right, then! Olympus Coliseum, here we come!"

-Later, Olympus Coliseum-

"Wow, it looks like the Coliseum is fixed up! It looks a lot better than before the Hydra destroyed it!" Sora commented as they walked through the gates from Thebes, looking at the golden statues that stood outside the arena and the double doors that led to it. The others nodded as Demyx quickly hid behind Axel, earning confused looks from the group.

"I hope they don't recognize me! I did steal the Olympus stone, remember?" he explained, causing Axel to roll his eyes as he shoved the melodious nocturne forward.

"Oh grow up, Demyx. I'm sure they've forgotten by now, and they wouldn't even recognize you anyways since you're not even wearing the organization's cloak. Got it memorized?" Demyx was silent before nodding. This caused Miu to raise her eyebrow in confusion. What were they talking about?

"Huh? What're you guys talking about?" she asked as she cocked her head to the side, almost like a confused but curious puppy. The boys were silent as they looked at each other, before turning their attention back to the girl. They might as well tell her, since she was now part of the group. Albeit reluctantly.

"Well, 'bout a year ago Demyx and Axel here were part of an evil organization called Organization XIII. At one point, Kyrie was too, but she left 'em an' joined us on our journey to find his Majesty and Riku. When we first came here, Demyx had stolen the Olympus stone so we had to fight 'im to get it back. That's why he's so nervous." Goofy explained, the others nodding in agreement as he did so. Miu nodded as she placed her hand against her chin.

"Yeah, I heard about them on my travels. But I thought they disbanded or something last year. So, you guys aren't part of the organization anymore?" she asked as she looked at Demyx and Axel. Both nodded their heads as the pyro crossed his arms as he continued. But Miu was now bored of the conversation, and turned her attention elsewhere as she began to walk away.

"Yeah, we ditched them near the end of Sora's journey. We helped them put an end to Xemnas and the rest of the organization at that point, and things were quiet until Master Xehanort came and kidnapped Kyrie." he explained, scowling slightly at the mention of the wicked keyblade master. Sora nodded as he held his hands behind his head, the group unaware that the girl had wandered off.

"Yeah, so that's why Demyx is so scared-…huh?" he started as he turned, only to find the girl gone. He blinked in confusion, where had she gone?

"Miu? Miu! Where'd you go?" he called as he looked around the courtyard. Hearing someone hum a happy tune, he turned and spotted her as she danced and spun across the courtyard, arms held out as she did so. She almost resembled a child as she danced, full of life and energy. But Donald growled at this, not amused that she had wandered away while they were talking. "Miu! Get back here!"

"Nu-uh! I'm having too much fun!" she sang as she continued to spin and twirl, her feet dancing across the sandy ground and creating patterns in the sand. But without warning, blotches of darkness began to form in front of her, causing her to gasp and summersault backwards as she unsheathed her blade. "Hey! I was having fun!"

"Miu!" Sora cried as he, Donald, and Goofy ran in, each summoning their weapons as they did so. Demyx and Axel followed suit, both summoning their weapons as they joined the boys, who were surrounding Miu as they faced the heartless head on. But the girl growled as she crossed her arms, clearly not pleased with being treated like someone who had to be protected.

"Hey, I'm not a weak little girl, ya know! I can take care of myself!" she exclaimed, slamming her boot into the ground in protest. Sora turned and opened his mouth to retort, but she had already jumped over his head and sliced through two of the heartless soldiers. He groaned a little, not at all pleased that she was fighting them alone.

"Miu, wait! You can't fight them alone! At least let us help!" he exclaimed as he ran in, slamming his keyblade into a shadow. But she only snorted at him in response and kept fighting, completely ignoring them and only focusing on the enemies that were in front of her.

"Sorry, but this girl works alone. Always did, always will, and there's not a thing you can do to change that!" she exclaimed as she fought. Like before she toyed with the heartless, swiftly dodging their attacks and goading them to keep attacking with her teasing; but then changed her tactics and took them out mercilessly.

She almost took out Sora, who had made the mistake of going after the same heartless she was, and he immediately cried out in surprise and fell back. The heartless took this opportunity to focus their gaze on him and zeroed in on him. But before they could touch him, a familiar bulky figure appeared and sent them flying, causing the boy to look up in surprise.

"Herc!"

"Hey, Sora!" the man called as he picked up a soldier and sent it flying into the wall. After a few moments, the heartless were all gone and Hercules helped the boy to his feet, giving him a "manly" handshake. "How've you guys been? It's been forever since we saw you!"

"We've been great! What about you?" the boy grinned as he held his hands behind his head. Hercules grinned as well and patted his chest. "Heroes, always busy!"

"You know it!" Donald exclaimed proudly, causing Goofy to chuckle. The man smiled at this before spotting Demyx and Axel. "Huh? Who're these guys, new friends?" Sora blinked before turning to Axel and Demyx, remembering that they were still there.

"Oh yeah! Herc, this is Axel and Demyx; friends of ours! Guys, this is the one and only Hercules!" The two nodded as they walked forward, holding their hands out.

"Nice to meet you, Hercules!"

"Yeah, name's Axel; A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" the man smiled and nodded as he shook their hands.

"It's nice to meet you." with that he looked around, noticing that a familiar white-haired girl was missing from the group. "Hey, where's Kyrie? Is she not traveling with you anymore?" Sora and the others looked away at this.

"Well…"

"Oh. My. God." they turned to stare at a wide-eyed Miu, who had her attention focused solely on Hercules. The older man blinked in confusion as she walked up, still staring at him with wide eyes. "Uh-"

"Oh my god, it's really Hercules! The greatest of all heroes!" she cried out as she jumped up and down. The group deadpanned; she was even more childish than Sora! With that she reached out and began to shake his hand, startling him somewhat.

"My name's Miu, adventurer extraordinaire, and I am your biggest fan! I want to be a true hero one day too, and aspire to meet you in greatness!" she spoke in a rush as she shook his hand frantically. The man chuckled at her energy and pep, not at all fazed that she was shaking his hand so roughly.

"Well it's nice to meet you too, Miu. I was wondering who you were when I saw you fighting those heartless, and from what I saw you're doing a great job so far." she cried out in joy at this, feeling pride well up inside her at the fact that her role model complimented her. With that she began to twirl around, but stopped when the man placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"But you still have a ways to go. Teamwork is another thing that makes a hero a hero, and you definitely need to work on that one. You're also a bit reckless, just like I was back in the day. But that's okay, you'll grow out of that eventually!" all of her pride flew out of her at this and she slumped, sighing as she did so. "Aw…"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Demyx began to laugh at this, causing her to puff out her cheeks and glare at them. "Ah shuddap, jerks!" Hercules laughed as well before turning to the boys.

"So, what happened? Did Kyrie go off on her own journey or something?" he asked. The boys were quiet before Sora sighed.

"Well, actually…" and with that, he told Hercules what had become of the girl, and their newest mission that was given to them by Master Yen Sid. All the while Herc's eyes widened, and when Sora finished, he blinked in disbelief.

"No way, so she got taken by an old keyblade master who wants to use her for some scheme?" he asked. Sora and the boys nodded while Miu twirled around, obviously in her own world.

"Yeah, and if we don't find her and save her soon…" the man nodded in understanding.

"Right. So, what can we do to help?"

"Well, we wondering if you had seen her? Or maybe an old man with tan skin and a grey goatee?" Demyx asked. Hercules shook his head, causing the boys to slump their shoulders and sigh. Hercules looked at Axel, who looked the most disappointed of the bunch. After Sora explained that Kyrie was the red-haired man's girlfriend, he felt a pang of sympathy towards him and understood what he was going through. After the time Meg had been kidnapped…shaking that thought away, he placed a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Sorry. I know she means a lot to you…" but the pyro shook his head, waving the man off. Though he was disappointed that Kyrie wasn't here, he wasn't at all mad at the man. If he hadn't seen her, then he hadn't seen her. Simple as that.

"It's okay, nothing to be sorry about. But here's another question, have you seen anyone suspicious lurking around lately? Anyone in a black cloak?" he asked. Then Miu popped up at Axel's side, startling the pyro.

"Or maybe tons of heartless? Or the unversed? What about nobodies? 'Cuz we have to get rid of those too!" she asked. Hercules was silent for a moment as he placed his hand against his chin, contemplating Axel's question.

"Hmm…not that I've seen, though there has been an increase of heartless lately and I've also seen some unversed. But maybe we can ask Phil and Meg, they might've seen something." the hero suggested. The boys nodded before Miu pumped her fist into the air.

"Then let's go see 'em! I'm sure they might've seen something strange, like those men or even a large heartless that we can take down! I can see it now- Miu and her sidekicks fighting a large titan or heartless and sending it to the ground, the crowd shouting our names as we pose in victory-" before she could continue Axel covered her mouth, silencing her.

"All right, all right, we get it. Now c'mon, before she talks us all to death." the group nodded feverishly and with that, they walked into the coliseum, with a muffled protest from Miu as Axel dragged her along.

-Inside the Coliseum-

Out in the training yard, the group spotted Meg and Phil as the two began setting up what looked like another training match for Hercules. The man smiled at the sight of them and waved, trying to get their attention.

"Hey Meg, Phil!"

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><p><strong>Yes, I decided to use Olympus Coliseum again, simply because it's tied greatly to Birth by Sleep. I have to make sure everything is tied together, remember?<strong>

**Anyways, review and tell me what you think!**


	17. River of Styx

**Well, here's an update, a week or few later than the last chapter. (see? I'm trying to update when I can) So hopefully you'll like this chapter.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

**OCs (c) Me**

**Kingdom Hearts (c) Square Enix**

* * *

><p>Kingdom Hearts<p>

Sanctioned Soul

Chapter 17

"Hey Meg, Phil!" Hercules called as he waved, causing the two to turn and stare at them. They both smiled and waved, happy to see the man.

"Hey, champ! Where've you been? I've been looking all over the place for you!" the satyr exclaimed as he walked over. This made the man smile and point over his shoulders.

"Sorry Phil, I was helping these guys out." he explained, indicating the group standing behind him. The man blinked before spotting Sora, Donald, Goofy, Axel, Demyx, and Miu before smiling.

"Well, if it ain't the **heroes**! How've you been?" Sora, Donald, and Goofy smiled as they ran up to hug him. "We've been good! How about you?"

"Never better!" the satyr exclaimed, grinning like a madman. Meg smirked and shook her head, placing her hand on her hip.

"Things have been quiet lately in the matches, so Phil here is all smiles because no one has any guts to face wonderboy." she explained. The group nodded in understanding before she looked at Axel, Demyx, and Miu.

"Uh…unless I'm mistaken, your group's gotten larger. With the absence of our favorite Junior Hero mute." she spoke, causing Axel to roll his eyes at her attitude. Phil nodded as he looked them over, somewhat suspicious.

"Yeah Sora, what gives? I thought I was gonna be able to train my junior while you guys got the hero warm-ups. So, who are these guys?" he added. Axel and Demyx quickly stepped forward, deciding to introduce themselves instead of having Sora do it.

"I'm Axel, A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?" the pyro started as he pointed to his temple, a small smirk on his face. Meg rolled her eyes at his words before Demyx spoke up.

"And I'm Demyx, nice to meet ya!" the water mage smiled, giving a wave. Phil blinked at the man before placing a hand against his chin, somewhat pensive.

"Huh. Hey, have we met somewhere before? Your voice sounds kinda familiar…" Demyx gulped at this before shaking his head, holding his arms up as he did so.

"Nope, never met you before in my life! Honest!" the satyr was silent at this before nodding, deciding to let it go for now. But before anyone could continue, Miu was in front of Phil and Meg, staring at them with large eyes.

"No way…first Hercules, now Hercules' trainer the great Philoctetes and his girlfriend Megara! Oh wow, this is so cool!" she exclaimed as she bent down, shaking the satyr's hand roughly before reaching out to take Meg's, only to have the woman step back and avoid her deadly hands. The girl pouted at this and crossed her arms, before turning to Phil as the satyr tried to regain his composure.

"Anyways, I'm Miu, adventurer extraordinaire and soon-to-be hero!" she exclaimed, puffing out her chest proudly. Phil stared at her for a few moments, before his eyes zeroed in on her chest, causing him to smirk wolfishly. _"Bingo!"_

"So, you want to be a hero, huh? Well, I think I can take you under my wing. After all, I think you've got what it takes!" this made the girl gasp and her eyes sparkle in joy. "Really?!"

"Really."

"Hey, Phil!" Sora started, "You took her in so easily while we had to defeat Cerberus in order to become Junior Heroes. What gives?" the boy whined, crossing his arms. Phil looked at the girl, before he pushed the boys a few feet away so that Miu and Meg were out of earshot.

"Because she has 'certain attributes' if ya know what I mean!" he whispered, indicating Miu. Sora blinked and scratched his head, confused. "You mean because she's strong? But Kyrie was strong too and you didn't take her in right away."

"That's because she didn't have the 'certain attributes!' She's as flat as a plank!" the satyr exclaimed. Axel growled at his words, clenching his fists. Man, did he wanna torch this thing's ass.

"Hey, that's my girlfriend you're talking about!" he growled as he held his hand out, a flame bursting to life in the palm of his hand. This caused the satyr to gulp and take a few steps back, before running. "I'll tell you guys later!" he called as he ran and hid behind Hercules, who was chuckling as he stood next to Meg. The woman rolled her eyes at this before turning to the group as they walked back.

"So, what brings you to our neck of the woods? Still on your journey?" she asked. Sora shook his head at this, before Donald spoke up.

"We're on another one!" the duck exclaimed. Goofy nodded as he elaborated.

"Yeah, 'cause we're searching fer Kyrie. She was kidnapped and we've gotta find her, A-hyuck!" the bipedal dog added. The rest of the group nodded while Meg and Phil stared on in surprise.

"Yeah, so we decided to come by and see if you guys have seen her, or anyone suspicious wandering around." Sora explained. Meg and Phil nodded in understanding as the satyr crossed his arms.

"Ah, okay. Well, I haven't seen anything." she replied. Phil however…

"Actually, I saw a boy an hour-or-so ago standing in front of the Underworld. He kinda looked like you except with black hair and amber eyes. Guy was creepy if you asked me." he answered pensively. Their eyes widened at this while Axel growled, remembering the boy.

"Vanitas!" Demyx nodded before turning to the satyr. "So you said he was heading into the Underworld? Then let's hurry after him!" before they could move, Hercules held his hand up.

"Hold it. Remember, the Underworld is Hades' territory. You sure you wanna go down there now?" the group nodded adamantly. Three of the six had defeated Hades before, so the rest had no problems whatsoever with wanting to take him on.

"Yeah!"

"Then I suggest you at least train a little first, especially you three." Hercules pointed to Axel, Demyx, and Miu. "Hades doesn't just sit around all day, he probably got stronger since the last time you saw him." he explained to the group. This made the pyro sigh in irritation, but he gave in nevertheless.

"All right, fine. Just a few matches, and then we're off to the Underworld."

-A short while later-

"Whoo, yeah! Take that!" Miu exclaimed as she sent a pot flying with her katana, just finishing her third round of training. The boys, who were finished, watched as she landed in the middle of the arena while Phil stared at her approvingly. "She's got a lot of spunk, I like that."

"She sure does. Now to just get her to work together with us…" Demyx added as he placed his hand against his chin. Looking around to make sure that all of the pots were broken, she smiled and skipped over.

"Well? How was that? I think I did great, but then again you might've thought that I did a pretty horrible job so I made extra sure to break them all into little bits-"

"Uh, I think you did great!" Phil started, trying to keep the girl from talking his ear off. She was strong, but jeez! She babbled on and on, and it was driving him crazy! "Now hurry up and get going, before you talk my ear off!" she narrowed her eyes at this but nodded nevertheless before her eyes began to sparkle.

"Wow…we're going to meet Hades! Rival to Hercules, and one of the greatest villains ever!" she exclaimed, causing the group to deadpan. She was a fan?

"You…like Hades?" Sora asked, flabbergasted. She nodded as she pulled out a small blue book, flipping through its pages before landing on one.

"Uh-huh! I'm his biggest fan!" she exclaimed as she showed them the page. It had a picture of the villain, as well as all the facts, trivia, and history surrounding him. They blinked. "Wow…"

"Now, let's go! I wanna get his autograph, too!" she laughed, shutting the book and putting it away. The boys nodded and with that they began walking out of the coliseum, with Hercules and Phil following close behind. The older man stopped the boy for a moment and placed a familiar round amulet in his hand, causing him to blink in confusion.

"Don't forget the Olympus stone! It guards against the Underworld's curse."

"Oh, thanks! I forgot about that…"

"Jeez Sora, when don't you forget anything?" Axel teased as he rolled his eyes. This made the boy growl as he whirled around to face him. "Hey! I don't always forget things!" but Donald and Goofy chuckled at this.

"Gawrsh Sora, ya kinda do."

"Uh-huh!" the boy snorted and turned, crossing his arms. Miu laughed at this and proceeded to push him, knocking him off balance somewhat before he smirked, playfully shoving her back. "Hey, stop that!"

"Well well, it's about time you girls showed up." the group stopped almost instantly, turning to spot a boy as he stood in front of the stairway that led to the Underworld, arms crossed as he smirked at them. This caused them to growl, while Miu, Hercules, and Phil blinked in confusion. He looked just like Sora!

"Wow, Sora! I didn't know you had a twin, that's so cool! I wish I had a twin…"

"I don't have one!" the boy exclaimed as he summoned his keyblade, getting ready to fight the boy. Vanitas rolled his eyes, not amused by the bubbly girl's comment.

"Please, like I would be related to that weakling." Sora growled and was about to say something back before Axel cut him off, summoning his chakrams as he took aim.

"All right you little prick, where have you guys taken Kyrie?!" the pyro demanded as he glared at the boy, growling as he did so. Vanitas smirked at his obvious anger, enjoying it immensely.

"Aw, worried about your little girlfriend? Don't worry, we're taking good care of little princess; A beating once or twice a day, plus hours on hours of interrogations. Pretty soon she's gonna break, and once she does then she'll bend to our every whim." he chuckled darkly, causing the pyro to growl in furry.

"Why you-"

"Hey! Now that's uncalled for, jerk face!" Miu exclaimed as she got in front of the man, glaring at the boy. She had no idea why, but this kid creeped her out. There was something very wrong about him…but what?

Before she could ponder this further he turned, giving them a mocking look. "Well, see you kiddies later. I've got things I've gotta do, and you're in my way." with that he took off, running down the stairs and into the depths of the Underworld. Miu growled and took off after him, leaving the others behind within moments.

"Miu! Wait!" Donald exclaimed, but the girl quickly disappeared. Sora was quick to follow after her, as well as Demyx, Goofy, and Axel.

"C'mon, we've gotta go after her! She can't take him on alone!"

-Meanwhile, Miu-

"_Man, what is with this kid? He's so fast!" _she thought as she ran after Vanitas, cutting down heartless and unversed alike as they appeared to stop her. But after a few minutes she lost him by a cliff that overlooked the river of Styx, causing her to groan as she came to a stop to take a short break.

"Damn! I lost him!" she panted as she slammed her foot on the ground, crossing her arms as she pouted. Looking over the cliff, she stared at the river for a few moments before kicking a pebble into it, watching as the hands of a few spirits reached up in agony, causing her to gulp and take a few steps back.

"Note to self; don't even think of exploring the river of Styx. Otherwise, I'll be dragged under and probably never seen again." just as she finished her sentence, a keyblade flew by and sliced her cheek, causing her to cry out as she stumbled back. Turning, she spotted Vanitas as he stood on the other side of the landing, smirking impishly at her as he summoned his keyblade back into his hands.

"I'm surprised you followed me all the way here, especially since you're a weak little girl. Oh well, I guess I'll play with you for a little while before throwing into that river. Then I'll watch you kick and scream in agony as those ghosts and ghouls suck you right in." she growled as she unsheathed her blade, irritated that he thought that she was weak.

"I'm not the weak one, twin! And we'll see who gets thrown into that river, but it will most certainly not be me." with that she ran at him, blade raised. He smirked at her reaction before raising his keyblade, the two weapons meeting in a flash of sparks as the two stared each other down.

She growled at the smirk on his face before swiping her leg under his feet, knocking him to the ground. But before she could land another hit, he rolled over and was back on his feet as he ran back at her. They collided blades once again, and this continued on for some time as they clashed blades and dodged attacks, with her finally able to scratch his cheek like he had done to her. This made the boy smirk.

"Wow, you're pretty good, doll-face. But not good enough!" he exclaimed as he shot an orb of dark energy at her from his keyblade, causing her to gasp as she held up her sword in defense. But it wasn't enough to stop the attack as it sent her flying; right over the edge of the cliff.

Jut as this was happening, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Demyx, and Axel arrived, watching as the orb hit the girl's blade and sent her flying over the edge. They gasped in alarm.

"Miu!" but the girl disappeared, emitting a shriek as she did so. Once she disappeared, Vanitas smirked proudly as he turned to them. "Oh, too bad. Looks like there's only five of you now."

"You…" Sora growled as he ran at the other boy, keyblade raised. But he quickly disappeared in a corridor of darkness, avoiding the boy's blade as it hit the ground. "Sorry, but I've got more important things to do. Here, you can play with my Unversed for a while."

As if on cue, a horde of floods as well as other types of unversed appeared, surrounding the group. The boys growled as they got into position, angered at the loss of the girl as well as Vanitas escaping.

"Miu…"

"Someone, anyone, help me!" a familiar voice exclaimed, causing them to gasp in surprise.

"Miu?!" Sora exclaimed as he and the others fought through some unversed to get to the side of the cliff, to see the girl dangling by her sword, which had been stabbed into the side of the cliff to keep the girl from falling to her doom. The girl was staring at them with wide eyes, her expression void of any of her usual prideful or happy expressions and replaced with a deep fear.

"Guys!" she exclaimed, her voice quivering. Sora nodded as he reached out, the other boys trying to keep the unversed busy while he tried to help her. "Okay, just take my hand!"

"I…I can't!" she cried, her hand held out to take his but coming up short. In seconds Demyx was at his side, looking down at the auburn-haired girl before turning to the boy. "Sora, I'll get her. Just go help the others!"

The boy nodded and did as he was told, gripping his keyblade tightly as he took on the unversed. With that the man turned his attention back to the girl, holding his hand out to her. Though he wasn't as tall as Axel was, he was still tall enough that he could reach her. "C'mon, Miu! Take my hand!"

"I can't! I'm…" the girl exclaimed, gripping her sword tightly as it began to dislodge itself from the cliff, making her cringe and scream. But Demyx wasn't going to give up as he extended his arm as much as he could. Locking his eyes on hers, his teal orbs began to blaze in determination as he stared into her cyan orbs. "Miu, just trust me! I'm not going to let you go, I promise! Now take my hand, hurry!"

The girl looked up at him, surprised at the sincerity and courage in his eyes, and slowly nodded before reaching up. This time, she was able to take the water mage's hand as he hoisted her up, saving her from falling to her demise. They rolled onto the rocky surface and panted heavily before he turned to her, concerned. "You okay?"

"Mm-hm." she nodded as she looked up, before her eyes widened. "Demyx, behind you!" the man turned just as a flood came at them, before grabbing Miu and holding her against his chest protectively. But before it could touch them, Sora knocked it away with his keyblade, finishing the last of the horde. With that he turned to them, panting heavily.

"Miu, you okay?"

* * *

><p><strong>Wow Vanitas, you're such an ass.<strong>

**Vanitas: Thanks, I live up to that title.**

**Me: ...Anyways, before anyone starts throwing the "Mary-Sue" planks at Miu about the breast thing, let me explain. She has a 'D-cup' which is above average. (which I also think Aqua has, because in some points of the game...yeah...) So keep your pants on before you start saying stuff! That, and Phil is a huge perv, which is common with Satyrs. (look it up in mythology. It's true.)**

**Demyx: ...Why were you so concerned about THAT?**

**Me: ...Fans, Demyx, will look for any reason to call someone a Mary-Sue. Trust me. **

**Demyx: ... *turns to the audience* Sorry about the author's paranoia, guys. Just leave a review and stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**Ventus: Yeah! And soon maybe me, Terra, and Aqua will show up!**

**Axel: ...Where the HELL did you come from, and why do you look like Roxas?!**


End file.
